


hard times

by rainbowens



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Amnesia, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Crossover, F/F, F/M, Lesbian Luna Lovegood, Lesbian Piper McLean, M/M, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, POV Alternating, Post-The Heroes of Olympus, it's my fanfic i decide the timelines, jason/piper never happened, no one is straight, snape apologists not welcome, the gods are back on their bullshit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23896324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowens/pseuds/rainbowens
Summary: corinne nystrom has been missing for three months. coincidentally, an identical brunette wakes up on the train to hogwarts with no memory of how she got there or who she is.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Harry Potter/Original Female Character(s), Piper McLean/Original Female Character, mentions of solangeo
Kudos: 13





	1. rock bottom

**Author's Note:**

> title comes from the song 'hard times' by paramore

**COREY**

It was the lurching of the train as it came to a stop that ultimately woke her up.

Her head hurt like never before. Her eyes felt as though they were welded shut but she forced them open. Wherever she was, she was lying on her back and faced towards the ceiling, so as soon she opened her eyes she found herself gazing into a fluorescent light bulb. Instinct kicked in and she rolled onto her side to avoid the harsh light. The movement made her feel like her head was on the verge of exploding. A groan fell from her cracked lips. She rubbed her eyes and tried to figure out her location.

She seemed to be in a train compartment. She was on the floor between two sets of plush red seats with tall backs. Above each set of seats was a rack for luggage, and there was additional space under the seats for storage. There was a large window on one end with curtains and a glass door on the other. Just under the window was a table with a lamp. Overall, it was very cozy. She used the seats to get to her feet. Every single movement made the pounding in her head increase tempo. She curled up in a corner seat.

Seconds later, the door slid open. 

A girl with long dirty blond hair stepped into the compartment, holding a sizable trunk. She smiled softly. "Is it alright if my friends and I sit here?"

Corey wasn't sure how to respond. Wait. Corey. Her name was Corey. No, it was Corinne, but everyone called her Corey. She just had no idea who 'everyone' was and where she came from and who she herself was beyond the name Corey. She had amnesia, it seemed.

The blonde continued to stare. Corey forced a smile. "Yeah, of course."

Her voice was hoarse but the girl either didn't notice or didn't think it warranted mentioning. The blonde's grin widened and she disappeared back into the hallway. Corey rubbed her temples. She needed answers, but how could she ask without appearing insane? She patted herself down for any sort of ID or something, anything that could tell her who or where she was. She realized she was wearing some sort of beaded necklace as well as a large, bronze, circular locket. 

Each bead was handpainted differently with symbols she knew should mean something to her, but they just looked like beads. She clicked the locket open to see a picture of herself riding on the back of a guy with blonde hair and electric blue eyes. Her eyesight was blurry so she had to squint to see there were a few others in the picture, namely a tan-skinned girl with braided brown hair and colorful eyes, a boy with curly black hair and an expression that suggested he should switch to decaf, a boy with black hair and green eyes, and a girl with curly blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Corey couldn't recall their names, but she knew they were important to her.

The blonde girl reappeared, this time with her friends: a brunet with kind eyes and a redhead that gave off the vibe that she could very easily kick your ass. Both carried trunks with them, just like the blonde. They granted Corey a friendly wave before storing their trunks under their seats. The redhead had a small owl with her in a cage. For some reason, Corey had a feeling someone she knew wouldn't approve of that. The redhead placed the cage in the rack above her seat. The brunet copied her, except he carried some kind of plant.

"Thanks for letting us sit here," the redhead said as she plopped down on a middle seat. "I'm Ginny Weasley. This is Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. I've got to be honest, I'm surprised anyone would transfer to Hogwarts with everything going on."

It was then Corey realized Ginny (and Luna had as well) spoke with a British accent. Corey herself did not. Corey was American. Ginny and Luna and probably Neville too were not. Did this mean Corey was in England? How did she get there? She knew Ginny was waiting on her to respond, but she was trying to review what little memory she had. Last thing she remembered, she was in a cab in New York, and she got really tired, so she decided to take a nap, and woke up in what seemed to be an entirely different continent.

Should she say something or play along?

"Are you alright?" Ginny asked. "No offense, but you look a bit out of it."

Another person stepped into the compartment. This one was a boy with black hair and green eyes-

Corey's brow furrowed. "Percy?"

The boy frowned. "What?" She rushed to get to her feet, ignoring the bitching drum solo in her head and stumbled over to him. He wore glasses and just under his bangs was a lightning scar. Her eyes widened and she traced his scar. Everyone was watching her like she was insane. She wasn't sure why, but the lightning felt right.

"Can I help you?" the boy questioned, stepping back and into the closed door with a slight wince.

"I don't know where I am," Corey admitted. She started shaking violently, her eyes growing glassy with tears yet to be shed. "I don't know where I am, or who I am, or how I got here, or why there's a dagger in my pocket-"

She cut herself off and reached into her pocket, pulling out a sheathed dagger. Her jaw dropped. "There's a dagger in my pocket. Who am I?" She fell to her knees, the dagger falling next to her. She reached into her hair and yanked at her roots as tears streamed down her cheeks and her entire body trembled. "Who am I?"

"It's okay," Ginny assured her, kneeling down by her side and discreetly pushing the dagger aside. "Calm down. We can help you. Do you remember anything? Do you know your name?"

Corey sobbed, "My name is Corinne and I..." The panging in her head grew stronger. She struggled to breathe. "And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

And with that, she passed out.


	2. missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> camp half-blood is missing a key member. meanwhile, corey makes an impression on hogwarts.

**PIPER**

Three months.

It'd been three months now since Corey was supposed to arrive at camp. Three months since her surprise birthday party was abruptly canceled due to her not showing up. Two months and five days since Annabeth managed to get Corey's mom on the line and discovered Ms. Nystrom was under the impression Corey had arrived safely at camp. Two months and four days since Corey was officially declared missing.

Everyone was on the lookout. Camp Jupiter, every Nome, even Hotel Valhalla had all joined the effort to find Corey. Still, nothing. No matter how much scrying magicians or children of Hecate did, there was no sign of Corey. They'd even consulted the gods. Hera claimed to have no part in Corey's disappearance, and the others simply agreed to look out for her. Three months and they had no leads.

Piper was basically losing her mind with worry, and she wasn't the only one. Jason hadn't been the same since Corey didn't show on June 28th. Annabeth and Percy were seemingly disconnected from the world. Leo hardly cracked jokes. Rachel was at a loss for inspiration. The entire camp was on edge. Corey wasn't as much as a leader as Percy was, but she'd been coming to camp every summer since she was 9. She was a staple, a constant. She was Piper's second friend at camp, the first being Annabeth. Camp just didn't make sense without Corey.

Piper, Annabeth, Percy, Jason, Leo, Rachel, Will, and Lou Ellen sat on the beach around a small campfire Leo had started mostly out of boredom. Nico was away looking for Corey. The 9 of them headed the 'Find Corey' committee. She was Annabeth, Rachel, and Piper's best friend, the little sister Percy never asked for, the family Jason always longed for, Leo's #1 fan, and the older sister Will, Nico, and Lou Ellen needed. She was the thorn in everyone's sides and the best friend you could ask for. She was stubborn and annoying and righteous and compassionate. She was Corey, and she was magnificent.

Everyone was so lost in their own thoughts that they hardly noticed Drew and Clarisse coming just over the sand dunes. Piper was the first to spot them. She reflexively scowled. "Drew. What are you doing here?"

"Corey is my friend too," Drew snapped. "I was wondering if you guys came up with any other ideas."

"Nope," Percy sighed. "We're just sitting here feeling useless." Drew and Clarisse sat down and closed the gap in the circle the others had formed.

Clarisse scratched the back of her neck. "I was thinking. Could she be in the Labyrinth? Could that be up and running again?"

"I don't think so," Annabeth answered. "I think the Labyrinth died with Daedelus."

Drew voiced the question they were all avoiding. "What if she's in Tartarus?" Piper's heart dropped into her stomach. Of course, she'd asked herself the very same question, but never aloud. To say it out loud was to give it power.

"No," Jason said hastily. They all turned to look at him. He had tears in his eyes. "If she was in Tartarus, surely we would've gotten a vision by now, or Nico would've sensed her death. Someone is purposely hiding her from us."

"I don't understand." Rachel dug her toes into the warm sand. "I haven't even spoken a new prophecy. There's no discernible reason as to why she's gone."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes slightly. "Lou, is Violet still here or did she leave for school already?" Violet was the daughter of Hecate who spent most of the summer scrying looking for Corey. Vi was the best at divination in camp. During the school year, she went to a boarding school. She had purple hair to match her name and a look in her eyes like she'd seen your future and it wasn't looking good.

"She already left for school," Lou Ellen replied. "Why?"

Annabeth shrugged and leaned her head on Percy's shoulder. "I just...I don't know. She's our best chance at finding Corey. I prefer her easily accessible."

"She's still going to scry while at school," Lou Ellen assured the blonde who once carried the world on her shoulders. "If she hears or sees anything, she'll let us know. Don't worry."

Piper nodded uneasily. For some reason, she couldn't help but think Lou Ellen was wrong.

*

**COREY**

She wasn't on the train anymore.

She woke up in a hall of sorts with towering ceilings. There were hospital beds and curtains and carts and cabinets full of medical supplies. She had to be in some kind of deluxe nurse's office. She wondered how many kids got injured a year that the school decided the medical wing needed at least fifteen beds. Every bed was empty except for hers. Judging by the world outside the windows, it was the middle of the night.

Despite the fact that every slight movement inspired a new wave of excruciating pain, Corey forced herself up and off the bed. Her bare feet hit the cold tile floor. Someone had changed her into a hospital gown and taken all of her clothes. The thought of someone touching her like that while she was unconscious made her skin crawl.

She tried to remember what happened before she blacked out. She'd woken up on a train and met Luna, Neville, Ginny, and the boy with the lightning scar. Lightning. The word itself brought an unexplainable smile to her lips. She ran her fingers through her hair and set to looking for her things. She didn't care too much about her clothes, but she wanted the bead necklace and the locket. They were her only real links to her past. Oh, and the dagger. They probably confiscated that.

She checked the carts and nightstands by her bed but came up empty. She padded towards the set of giant doors. She seemed to be in some sort of castle. What had Ginny called it? Hogwarts. She fought a snort. The fuck kind of name was Hogwarts?

She noticed a door off to the side. That had to be the nurse's office. Her stuff was probably in there. Corey twisted her lips. How was she going to get in there? What if the nurse was in there?

She decided to just try the doorknob. Surprise surprise, it was locked. She scowled and went to try the set of giant doors. Locked. Well shit. Corey retreated to her bed and lied back down. Her body thanked her, practically sighing in relief as she sank onto the thin mattress. She closed her eyes. She wanted to believe she was safe.

She let sleep claim her once again, trying to ignore the feeling in her bones like a battle was just up ahead.

*

**HARRY**

She was all anyone was talking about. As soon as he stepped into the Gryffindor common room, he was assaulted with questions.

"Is it true that she was bleeding?" Lavender Brown pestered.

"Did she really just collapse?" Colin Creevy squeaked.

"What did she say before she passed out?" Dean Thomas pressed. "Ginny said she said something weird, but she won't tell us what."

"And she was American, right?" Cormac McLaggen questioned.

Seamus Finnegan scratched his chin. "Do you reckon she could be an undercover Death Eater? Maybe some kind of honeypot? Neville said she was pretty."

"She wasn't bleeding and she really did just collapse," Harry answered, trying to hide his annoyance at their never-ending interrogation. "She did say something weird before she passed out, she was American, and no, I don't think she's an undercover Death Eater. She said she had amnesia. She looked genuinely terrified." His audience nodded, taking that in.

Cormac McLaggen raised his hand slightly like they were in class. "Is she hot?"

"Alright, enough, leave him alone," Ron cut in, shooing the crowd away. "He's had a long day, let him get some rest." When everyone finally dispersed, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny exchanged looks and gathered in a corner of the common room. After Corinne passed out on the train, Harry had carried her to Slughorn, who called over the trolley witch who then spent the rest of the ride taking care of Corinne until they could get her to the hospital wing. Luckily, everyone was so preoccupied with Corinne that no one noticed Harry's broken nose or the blood on his shirt.

Ginny pulled her knees into her chest. "I feel bad. Like, I feel like we should go visit her."

"I can't imagine how scared she is," Neville said in a hushed tone. "Waking up in an unfamiliar place twice within the span of a few hours with no memory of who you are...Ginny's right, we should visit her."

"We can't all fit under the Invisibility Cloak," Hermione reminded him, "but I agree. She's scared and confused. Neville, Ginny, Harry, and Luna are the only people she knows right now. I don't think she should be alone."

Harry wasn't sure he agreed. There was something about Corinne that put him on edge. What she'd said before passing out, about being 'burdened with glorious purpose,' made his skin crawl. He didn't think he could ever forget the look in her eyes like she had seen all of the secrets of the universe and they'd driven her mad. And the way she touched his scar...her touch was so soft, so gentle, so _electric_. He knew it made him a terrible person, but he couldn't help but be scared of Corinne and what she meant.

"Harry and I will go," Ginny decided. Harry tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach at the thought of just Ginny and him sneaking around under the Invisibility Cloak.

Ron scoffed. "Just the two of you? Not likely. I want to go!"

"Why, because Neville said she's pretty?" Ginny challenged. Ron's face and ears flushed red. Harry shook his head playfully. He didn't want to go, but he knew he should. Something about him registered within Corinne, and if he was in her place, he'd want that sense of familiarity. He knew Ginny should go too - after all, it was her arms that Corinne had collapsed in. But it couldn't just be the two of them. Not if Harry wanted a chance at kicking this crush.

"Ginny, Hermione, and I will go," Harry stated.

Hermione nodded. "Alright. Go get your Invisibility Cloak. Ginny and I will wait down here. Ron, you and Neville go to bed." Neville jumped at the idea of getting to go to bed. Ron pouted but followed Neville up. Harry was on Ron's heels. He rushed to dig his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk while Ron engaged Seamus and Dean in casual conversation to distract them.

Five minutes later, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were crowded under the Invisibility Cloak while Ginny navigated with the Marauder's Map. They easily dodged every teacher and member of the Order on patrol. Soon enough, they were standing outside the hospital wing doors while Hermione whispered, "Alohomora."

The locks disengaged and the three of them slipped inside. It wasn't hard to spot Corinne. She was the only one there. Madam Pomfrey had seemingly already gone to bed. As soon as the door closed behind them, Corinne jolted awake. She moved quickly, grabbing the lamp from her bedside table. She crouched low behind her bed, watching. Waiting. Poised to attack.

"Hey, it's just us," Ginny stage-whispered, tearing the cloak off of all three of them. "I don't know if you remember me. I'm Ginny, and this is Harry, and this is our friend Hermione. You haven't met her yet."

Corinne slowly rose and set the lamp back down. "Why are you here?"

"We didn't want you to be alone," Harry replied. She watched them like a hunter watches her prey. She approached them, moving at her own speed. She commanded the room without speaking. There was a demand for respect in the swing of her hips. Harry felt it again - that something about her that scared him. There was a sense of precision in her every move, which seemed odd for an amnesiac.

Just like before on the train, Corinne invaded Harry's personal space. She brushed his bangs aside and, once again, traced his scar. He tried to fight a shiver. She smiled delicately. "Lightning. Marked for me."

Harry choked on air. "I'm sorry, what?"

"An inside joke," she explained, then winced like she'd been hit by a sudden splitting headache. "I think." He wasn't sure what that meant or if he even wanted to know.

"On the train, you called me Percy," Harry continued, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Who is Percy?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just know he's someone I trust and you kind of look like him, and so I trust you. Emotional transference." Before he could reply to that, she moved on to Ginny. "Thanks for coming to check on me."

"It was the least we could do," Ginny insisted. She exchanged a nervous look with Hermione. "Do you know where you are?"

"You called it Hogwarts," Corinne said. She gestured to the room around them. "It seems to be some kind of castle. This looks like a hospital wing. You had luggage with you earlier and you're wearing uniforms, so this is probably a boarding school. From your accents, I'm guessing England." 

Hermione nodded, smiling ever so slightly. "This is Hogwarts. It's in Scotland. It's a boarding school for..." She glanced at Ginny and Harry, who both nodded as if giving her permission, "witches and wizards."

"Witches and wizards?" Corinne echoed. She seemed incredulous for a moment, but then she considered it and nodded. "Alright."

"Alright?" Harry repeated. "You believe us, just like that?"

Corinne chuckled. "I woke up on a train on a different continent with little to no memory. Let's just say I'm open-minded." She ran her fingers through her hair. "Can we sit and talk? I'm still not 100%."

The four went back to her bed. She sat at the head, legs crossed underneath her, blanket draped over her lap. Ginny sat on the foot of the bed, leaving Harry and Hermione to grab chairs from another bedside. Ginny clicked her tongue. "So. You're American."

"Yep." Corinne sank back into her pillow a little bit. "The last thing I remember, I was in a cab in New York City, I think. I think it was summer. I was really tired so I decided to take a nap in the cab and then I woke up on the train with nothing but the clothes on my back, those necklaces, and the dagger in my pocket."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Dagger? No one said anything about a dagger." Ginny grinned sheepishly and pulled Corinne's dagger from out of her cloak. She passed it to Corinne, who took it like she was grabbing a bomb. She examined it the best she could in the dark. She pressed a lightning emblem embedded on the hilt. The dagger began to glow softly. When the glow died down, Corinne was no longer holding a weapon. She was holding a golden ring with a lightning bolt on the band.

She slipped it onto her left ring finger. "I think a friend made this for me." She scoffed and shook her head. "The hell kind of person am I if my friends make me weapons?"

"I don't know," Hermione admitted, leaning forward and laying a hand on Corinne's knee, "but we'll help you figure it out, Corinne."

"Corey's fine," Corinne replied almost automatically.

At that moment, the doors to the hospital wing opened and Dumbledore stepped through accompanied by Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Slughorn. Dumbledore didn't seem surprised to see Harry, Hermione, and Ginny sitting with Corey. In fact, he greeted them with a cheery grin. "I trust you're not bothering our new friend."

Ginny smiled. "Corey, this is our headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. That's our Transfiguration professor and the head of Gryffindor house Minerva McGonagall. That's Snape, he's our...our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and he's Professor Slughorn, our potions professor. Professors, this is Corinne."

"It's a pleasure," Dumbledore assured. "Miss Corinne, I must ask you to come with us. There are some matters we need to discuss."

"Of course," Corey rushed to say, getting to her feet. Ginny helped her steady herself. Once Corey was sure she was stable, she walked towards the professors. Halfway there, she stopped, turned, and made eye contact with Harry. "Your scar. How did you get it?"

Harry swallowed thickly. "An evil wizard murdered my parents and then tried to kill me because of a prophecy, but my mother's love protected me and so it backfired on the wizard and I got this scar."

Corey nodded. "To storm or fire, the world must fall." With that, she turned and headed out the hospital wing doors, completely bypassing the professors. For a moment, there was silence.

"She's mad," Harry blurted out.

Dumbledore shot him a wink. "Actually, Mr. Potter, I'm starting to think she's the sanest person here."


	3. sorted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> corey earns a spot at a school she never should've known about.

**COREY**

Corey followed Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Professor Slughorn back to Dumbledore's office while Professor McGonagall escorted Harry, Hermione, and Ginny back to Gryffindor tower, whatever that was. As they moved through the castle, Corey did her best to take everything in. If she didn't believe in magic before, she definitely did now. The staircases moved every so often. The paintings moved too and spoke, and they unsubtly gossiped about Corey as she passed by. Suits of armor were scattered throughout the halls with the occasional statue.

"What do you think?" Professor Slughorn inquired. He looked at Corey like he was a scientist examining her under a microscope.

"It's very castle-y," Corey replied.

By the time they made it to Dumbledore's office, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them by a statue of a gargoyle. Dumbledore said loudly, "Blood lollipops," and the gargoyle stepped aside to reveal a circular staircase that slowly wound up towards the top of the tower. Corey smirked, impressed. She couldn't help but feel like she knew someone who would appreciate this architectural detail.

The five of them ascended the staircase which brought them to a set of oak doors, which Dumbledore merely pushed open and ushered them through. His office was incredible. Little trinkets and curios everywhere, towering bookcases filled to the brim, walls lined with moving portraits, another circular staircase that presumably went to living quarters, and-

"Is that a phoenix?" Corey gasped, running over to the bird. Its bright and colorful plumage popped against the stone pillar it was positioned against. It eyed her apprehensively.

"His names is Fawkes," Dumbledore replied. Corey reached her hand out. Fawkes inspected it, then brushed against her palm as a sign of acceptance. Corey grinned and pet him for a moment before she realized the adults had all stationed themselves by what had to be Dumbledore's desk. They looked like they were waiting for her, so she bid Fawkes a quick goodbye and rushed to take the seat Professor Snape had gestured to.

"I understand you have amnesia," Dumbledore started. While he spoke, Professor Slughorn prepared tea for them. "Do you remember anything?"

Corey nodded and shifted in her seat. "Yes, sir. I remember my name, obviously, and I remember that before I woke up on the train here, I was in a cab in New York, and I think it was summer." Professor Slughorn handed her a cup of piping hot tea. She blew on it and sipped hesitantly. It was good. She downed it quickly. She set the teacup down on Dumbledore's desk as a serene state washed over her.

"Is that really all you remember?" Dumbledore pressed, leaning forward in his chair.

"Yep," Corey said, giggling ever so slightly. "Well, I sort of remember a name and a bit of a face. Percy. I think he looks like that Harry kid."

Professor McGonagall stood behind Dumbledore, arms crossed over her chest. "Are you in any way associated with Lord Voldemort?"

Corey furrowed her brow. "Who?" The adults visibly relaxed. They clearly weren't fans of this Lord Voldemort guy. He sounded evil.

"You seem to have a fixation on Harry," Professor Slughorn chimed in. "Why is that?"

"It's like I said," Corey said with a nonchalant shrug. "Harry looks like this Percy guy, and I trust Percy, so I trust Harry. And he has that lightning scar, and something about lightning makes me smile. I don't think he likes me very much, though. I think he's scared of me."

"Why would he be scared of you?" Professor Snape inquired.

"For the same reason that you guys are." Corey tapped her nails on the arms of her chair. "I'm an entirely unknown factor. Even I don't know who I am. People always fear what they don't know, or what they don't understand. That, and I keep getting up in his personal space. It's just his lightning scar. Something about it feels like a joke. Like the universe is laughing at me."

The adults exchanged looks. Corey hugged her knees to her chest. She had this feeling in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't place it, but it settled in her bones and raised the hair on her arms. She tried to remember how warm Ginny had been towards Dumbledore and McGonagall. Ginny trusted them, and Corey trusted Ginny, so she should trust them, right? But Corey had this instinct like adults were not to be trusted. She didn't know much about herself, but she knew her trust was not easy to earn, especially when it came to her elders.

Dumbledore hummed quietly. "You understand, Miss Corinne-"

"Corey," she interjected. She forced a small grin. "Sorry, but no one calls me Corinne. Only my mom when she's angry with me." Her eyes brightened. "My mom! I have a mom."

Dumbledore smiled placatingly before continuing, "You understand, Miss Corey, that we're not quite sure what to do with you." Her grin dropped and she nodded.

"If I may, sir," she said, "I feel like I woke up on the train here for a reason. I don't think I'm here by coincidence. I know it's a lot to ask, but I think I should stay here, at least for the time being."

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "Miss...Corey, you must understand that our world is in a time of great peril. The evil wizard known as Lord Voldemort and his army of Death Eaters are rising to power again, and it's only a matter of time before the full-on war breaks out."

 _War._ The word sent a painful shiver down Corey's spine. Her eyes teared up and her mouth grew dry. She wasn't sure why, but she got the feeling she was all too familiar with war. Instinctually, she touched her left shoulder with the delicateness of a butterfly kiss.

"Maybe that's why I'm here," Corey said before she even realized she'd opened her mouth. She couldn't look any of them in the eye, choosing instead to stare at her hands in her lap. "I think...I think I've been in a war. Maybe I can help."

Once again, the adults exchanged looks. They had a silent conversation. She tried to judge what they were thinking by their facial expressions, but for the most part, their faces remained impassive. The only one who showed any hint of emotion was Professor Slughorn. The corners of his lips were upturned ever so slightly. She hoped that meant good things for her.

"Very well!" Dumbledore exclaimed, now beaming like a child on Christmas. "In that case, we must figure out where you will be staying. All new students are sorted into a house by the Sorting Hat. I see no reason why your case should be any different."

As he spoke, Professor McGonagall went over to a bookshelf and grabbed an old, worn hat from the top shelf. She set the hat atop Corey's head. It was slightly too big for Corey, but she had a feeling it wasn't really supposed to fit. Everyone was staring at her as if waiting for something.

_**Oh, you are quite interesting.** _

Corey jolted. Was that the Hat? Was it talking to her?

_**Yes, I am a talking hat. It is my job to decide which house students belong to.** _

_Um, okay. What do you mean by 'house?'_

**_There are four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. And you, my dear, are a-_ **

"GRYFFINDOR!"

*

**HERMIONE**

She was awake when Professor McGonagall came in with Corey.

Well, they were all awake. Parvati, Lavender, and Fay were talking, the topics ranging from how Parvati's parents almost pulled her out of Hogwarts to how Fay's friend Anna's parents _did_ pull her out of Hogwarts, to Corey or, as they knew her, Mystery Train Girl. They'd pestered Hermione for answers, but she remained tight-lipped. It wasn't like she had much to share anyway, and what she did know didn't seem like details she should share. And really, did Parvati and Lavender need to know that Corey had a fixation on Harry?

Fay was in the midst of a rant about how her parents didn't want her to become an Auror when the door opened and McGonagall stepped inside, closely followed by none other than Corey. Instantly, the room went silent. Hermione, who had been reading, tucked her bookmark into the spine of her book and set it aside. They all stared at Corey, who was picking at her cuticles.

"Ladies," McGonagall sighed, "while you really should be sleeping, this does make it easier. This is Corinne. She will be your new roommate. I ask you to lend her a uniform or two until hers arrive in the post. Please help her to settle in." She turned to Corey. "Goodnight. I will see you all in the morning."

"Wait!" Corey exclaimed before McGonagall could leave. "My necklaces. When will I get them back?"

"I'll return them to you when I give you your schedule," McGonagall assured her. Her expression softened. "Sleep well, dear. Goodnight." The teenagers watched as McGonagall left. For a moment, no one spoke. Corey stood still, investigating the dorm with her eyes.

Hermione smiled and rose from her bed. "Hey, Corey. That's your bed, over there." She pointed to the bed across from hers where Anna once slept. Corey matched her smile and crossed the room to her new bed. She sat down on the foot, looking unsure what to do with herself. She still wore her hospital gown.

"Here, you can borrow some of my pajamas," Parvati offered, jumping up to rummage through her trunk. "What do you need?"

"Just pants and a shirt," Corey answered, and soon enough she was holding said items. Parvati pointed out the bathroom and Corey disappeared within. Lavender seemed to be turning red from the strain of not talking.

Fay narrowed her eyes and whispered, "Schedule? I thought she was a muggle!"

Corey stepped out of the bathroom, her balled up hospital gown in hand. "What's a muggle?" Fay flushed.

"Muggles are people who don't have magic," Parvati explained.

"Oh," Corey said softly. She sat back down on her bed, crossing her legs underneath much as she had in the hospital wing. "Then yeah, I guess I'm a muggle. They're uh, going to put me in classes that don't require magic, so I'll be taking History of Magic, Herbology, Potions, and Astronomy with the first-years, and Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures with the third-years, which means I'll have a free period or two for study hall."

Fay grinned. "Well, if you need any help with your classes, just let us know. And by us, I mean Hermione. She's the brightest witch of our age." Hermione blushed, waving a hand dismissively.

"Thank you," Corey giggled. "Seriously, I can't imagine how weird this is for you guys, but you're being very kind."

"The Sorting Hat put you here," Parvati said. "That means you're one of us, and we take care of our own."

Corey had the most beautiful smile on her face. She had one of those smiles that lit up her whole face and the room around her. Her nose scrunched up ever so slightly and her dimples were on full display. Her slight blush highlighted the faint smattering of freckles across her nose. Her hair fell around her in somewhat bushy waves. Hermione couldn't help but be impressed. She didn't think she would be so cheerful if she were in Corey's position.

Hermione stifled a yawn. "Well, we should get to bed. You can interrogate Corey in the morning, Lavender." Lavender smiled sheepishly. The girls bid each other goodnight as they slipped into their respective beds. As always, Lavender fell asleep first. She was snoring within minutes. Fay pulled her curtains around her bed - she needed absolute darkness to sleep. Corey's tossing and turning were loud enough to be heard across the room, but no one said a word.

*

**HARRY**

Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione in the common room when Corey appeared at the top of the staircase to the girls' dorms. Harry immediately did a double-take. What the hell was Corey doing in a Gryffindor uniform, chatting with Ginny and Hermione so casually? The second Corey spotted him, her eyes lit up. He fought the urge to run as she bounded down the steps at top-speed and flung her arms around him.

"Harry!" she gushed, nearly knocking him down with her momentum. She pulled away from him but hung onto his arm. "I got sorted last night. I'm a Gryffindor now, just like you and Gin and Maia."

Ron was staring at them like they were aliens. Harry frowned. "Maia?"

"That's me," Hermione laughed, coming to a stop next to Ron. "Cor couldn't sleep last night so she had plenty of time to think about nicknames, apparently."

Corey beamed. "I don't know much about myself, but I know I like nicknames." She seemed to finally catch sight of Ron. "Who's this?"

"That's Ronald," Ginny said. "He's my older brother. Sorry, he's such an idiot." She punctuated her point by smacking Ron on the shoulder. He jumped and made a hurt noise, but it made him finally stop gaping at Corey like she was a goddess.

If Harry was being honest, he couldn't blame Ron. Corey was...pretty. Beautiful, even. There was something about her that seemed almost ethereal. Too good to be true. Maybe that was why Harry was so wary of her. A gorgeous girl shows up out of nowhere and has an inexplicable fascination with him? It was simply too fantastical, and Harry was a _wizard._

"It's nice to meet you." Now Corey took Harry's hand and intertwined their fingers. Her hand was nice to hold, but it was still weird. He debated saying something, but she was swinging their joined hands with the dorkiest smile on her face, and he thought it might be a bit rude to take that from her.

Ginny was eyeing their hands with thinly veiled distaste. "So, should we get going before breakfast is all gone?" Harry's heart plummetted to his feet. Ginny didn't like that he and Corey were holding hands. Was she jealous? And who of?

"Yeah, let's go!" Corey tugged Harry along. "Professor McGonagall is giving me my necklaces back with my schedule."

"You don't even know where we're going," Harry said exasperatedly as Corey climbed out of the portrait hole, still maintaining a tight grip on his hand.

Corey shrugged with her whole body. "I don't know what it is, I just have so much energy. I feel like I could fist-fight God behind a 7-11, you know?" She was talking faster now. "Have you ever been to a 7-11? I've never actually been to one. Did you know they do makeup now? Imagine you're out somewhere and someone's like 'Oh my gods, your makeup looks amazing, what are you wearing, like what brand is that?' and you have to say 'Oh, it's 7-11.' I feel like that would be weird. I feel like I'd be embarrassed, but maybe I shouldn't be. Maybe that would be like, the ultimate flex."

"Corey-"

"I don't usually put on makeup because it's just like, too much work, and also I don't really know how to do much of it? Like I can do like primer and concealer and foundation and blush and I can sort of do a contour, and I can do highlight and lipstick, but I can't do eyeliner or eyeshadow. Oh, and I can do mascara, but I mean, everyone can do mascara."

"Corey-"

"I wonder where the word mascara comes from. Have you ever thought about that? Like, it's such a weird word. Mascara. Mas-cara. Mas-car-a. Ma-scar-a. Like, who came up with that? And who was like, yes, that is definitely the best word to describe this product?"

"Corey!"

Corey collided with a much shorter girl, sending both of them to the floor.

To her credit, Corey was extremely apologetic as she jumped to her feet. "Oh my gods, I'm so sorry! I was so lost in my head, I didn't know where I was going." She helped the shorter girl up. "Are you okay?"

Her victim was speechless. Hermione seemed to decide it was best for someone to step in, and so she did. "Sorry about that. Barnaby, this is Corey. Corey, this is Barnaby - Violet Barnaby. She's in Ginny's year." 

Violet was staring at Corey like she'd seen a ghost. Her mouth hung open as she gaped at Corey. It was as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Then, all of a sudden, she snapped out of it. She cleared her throat, tucked a vibrant purple lock behind her ear, and said breathlessly, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

"You're American," Corey realized. "Like me. This is going to sound so stupid, but do you know me?"

"Corey's from New York City, like you," Ginny chimed in.

Violet tugged on her sweater marked with the Gryffindor insignia. "No, sorry. Millions of people live in NYC, we don't all know each other." She adjusted her glasses. "Well, uh, I need to go eat breakfast, but it was nice to meet you, I guess. Welcome to Gryffindor." And with that, Violet disappeared down the hallway. She practically ran away from them. Harry frowned. That was weird.

"I can't believe I ran into someone," Corey grumbled, seizing Harry's hand once again. "It was like my brain kept switching train tracks." As they neared the Great Hall, they began to garner more and more strange looks. Harry wasn't sure if it was because of Corey or because Corey and Harry were holding hands. Maybe both. A fourth-year Slytherin pointed out Harry and Corey's intertwined hands to her friends and all of them began to snicker. Harry tore his hand away from Corey and tried to ignore the crestfallen look on her face.

They finally entered the Great Hall. They sat down near Neville, Dean, Seamus, Parvati, and Lavender. As soon as they took their seats, other Gryffindors shifted to be closer to them -- closer to Corey. Cormac McLaggen was nearly in Neville's lap. Corey didn't seem to notice. She was already engaged in conversation with Parvati, Lavender, Hermione, and Ginny. Ron and Harry exchanged looks. They didn't think they'd ever seen Parvati and Lavender have such a lengthy discussion with Hermione.

By chance, or maybe by Corey's design, she ended up sitting next to Harry. She didn't try to take his hand again, but she leaned on him from time to time.

"So, you have no idea where you're from?" Dean was asking.

"I'm pretty sure I'm from New York City," Corey replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder casually. "At least, that's the last place I remember being. I was in a cab, and then I was tired, and then I woke up on the train to Hogwarts." She laughed. "It's funny, though. Something about this situation is funny. Like it's happened before, but not to me." Her audience nodded, captivated by her every word.

Cormac McLaggen was on a mission. "Why were you holding hands with Potter earlier?" Both Corey and Harry turned shades of pink.

Corey shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Storms." Everyone looked at her like she was an absolute nutter. She blushed even harder. Without warning, she grabbed Harry's face. Cupping his cheek with one hand, she used her other to move his bangs. She traced his scar again and he couldn't help but shudder. She smiled softly. "Storms." And then she held up her left hand, displaying her lightning ring for all to see. It took a beat for Harry to remember that the ring was actually a dagger.

"Wow, look at that," McLaggen said through gritted teeth. "Lightning. Marked for each other." Harry's eyes widened. Oh no.

Lavender's eyes were practically sparkling. "You're like, basically soulmates!" Ginny choked on her pumpkin juice. Harry wanted to slink to the floor and die. This couldn't be happening. Corey was bright red and stammering something about prophecies that Harry probably would've addressed if he wasn't so embarrassed. Overhead, the sky was quickly darkening as storm clouds gathered from seemingly nowhere.

Professor McGonagall appeared with the schedules and Corey's necklaces. Corey quickly jumped up and snatched her necklaces up, forgoing social norms. She tugged the bead necklace on but kept the locket in hand. She opened it and squinted at the picture. Then, she relaxed. She shoved the picture in Harry's face, using her pinky finger to point out which face in particular she was referring to.

"Look," Corey commanded, as if Harry had any other choice, "look! That one right there is Percy. Doesn't he kind of look like you?" Harry had to squint, but he could see the resemblance. Percy also had black hair and green eyes. However, he was a lot more muscular than Harry and more tanned, and better looking. From what Harry could see, Percy had his arm around a gorgeous blonde girl. Actually, everyone in the photo was gorgeous, Corey included. Maybe she came from a family of models.

Corey passed her locket to Hermione so she could inspect it. Corey graciously took her schedule from Professor McGonagall. "I don't know why, but I remember Percy, and I think it's because of you, Harry. I wish I knew the names of everyone in this picture. I look at it, and I know they mean a lot to me, but I can't pinpoint it." She was tearing up now. She smiled softly at him. "Thank you. For helping me remember even just one thing."

Harry couldn't help but smile back. He wasn't sure how to reply, but as it turned out, he didn't have to. Professor McGonagall ended the moment with, "Miss Corinne, there are some things I'd like to discuss with you before you go to class."

"Of course, let me just grab breakfast." Corey snatched a chocolate chip muffin off of the table and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.

"No, no, you have enough energy as it is," Ron chuckled, taking the mug away from her.

Corey laughed. "No, caffeine calms me down, actually. It's my ADHD." There was a beat and then she turned to Professor McGonagall with wide eyes. "Professor, I have ADHD." She glanced down at her schedule and squinted. "And mild dyslexia."

"I'll inform your professors, dear, but we really must be going," Professor McGonagall said. Corey nodded and started towards the doors of the Great Hall, but McGonagall didn't move. Instead, she sent a strange look Harry's way. "Are your fellow Gryffindors treating you well?"

Corey set down the mug of coffee she just finished chugging and took her locket back from Hermione. "Yeah, they're really nice. Fay let me borrow one of her uniforms and Hermione promised to help me with my classes and everyone's being really patient with me."

"Good," Professor McGonagall said. "Now, then, come along."

It wasn't until Corey and Professor McGonagall had left that Harry realized the seemingly random storm clouds gathering overhead had dissipated within minutes.


	4. fanciable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> corey learns more about the wizarding world and about herself.

**HARRY**

Okay, so maybe Corey was growing on him.

Maybe it was the way she offered to make Snape's life a living hell for him or the way her eyes lit up while Dean, Seamus, Ginny, and Ron all tried to explain Quidditch to her the Friday before try-outs, their voices overlapping to the point that Harry couldn't be sure if Corey understood any of it. Maybe it was the softness of her smile or the electricity of her touch. Maybe it was just that she was kind and funny and understanding. She was haunted by demons she couldn't remember, but she still did as much as she could for everyone.

On the Saturday of the Gryffindor Quidditch team try-outs, Corey was dressed casually. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a red-and-white striped shirt and high-waisted denim jeans on loan from Ginny. She looked good. She was sitting next to Hermione, doing homework while she ate breakfast. 

Corey never looked up from her parchment until Hermione said, "Oh, come on, Harry. It's not _Quidditch_ that's popular, it's you! You've never been more interesting, and frankly, you've never been more fanciable." Ron gagged on a piece of kipper. Corey furrowed her brow slightly. Harry suddenly felt unbearably warm.

Hermione carried on, "Everyone knows you've been telling the truth now, don't they? The whole Wizarding world has had to admit that you were right about Voldemort being back and that you really have fought him twice in the last two years and escaped both times. And now they're calling you 'the Chosen One' — well, come on, can't you see why people are fascinated by you?"

Corey made a face. She poked at her egg yolk with her fork. No one seemed to notice except Harry. Hermione wasn't finished. " _And_ you've been through all that persecution from the Ministry when they were trying to make out you were unstable and a liar. You can still see the marks on the back of your hand where that evil woman made you write with your own blood, but you stuck to your story anyway."

"Wait, what?" Corey gasped. Harry reached over the table to show her his scars. 'I must not tell lies.' She grabbed his hand with both of hers and ghosted her thumb over his scars. Harry resisted the urge to shudder under her touch. She was frowning, her eyes dark and broody.

"You can still see where those brains got hold of me in the Ministry, look," Ron spoke up. He shook back his sleeves to reveal his own markings. One of Corey's hands left Harry's to trace Ron's markings.

Hermione ignored him. "And it doesn't hurt that you've grown about a foot over the summer either." A glimmer flickered to life in Hermione's eyes and she turned to Corey, who was once again holding Harry's scarred hand in both of hers. "You agree, don't you, Corey?"

Corey dropped Harry's hand, her cheeks flushing pink. "Agree with what?"

"That Harry's fanciable," Hermione reiterated.

"What, like, good-looking?" Corey pressed. Hermione nodded. Corey opened her mouth to answer but then turned ghostly white. She gathered her things hurriedly, looking like she was about to be sick. "I need some air. I'll see you guys at Quidditch try-outs."

She got up and ran out of the Great Hall. Harry narrowed his eyes at Hermione. "What the hell was that?"

Hermione shrugged, the hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, she's beautiful, isn't she?" Harry blushed heavily. He wasn't sure what to say. Yes, Corey was beautiful. That was obvious. Anyone with working eyes could see that. Still, he couldn't quite see what Hermione was getting at.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry stammered. 

Hermione rolled her eyes like he was an idiot, but thankfully, the owls came swooping in with the post, and the subject was changed.

*

**COREY**

She stumbled through the halls, feeling woozy.

_"Come on, Cor."_

_They were sitting on the edge of the pier, dipping their feet just past the surface of the lake. The sky above them was a picture-perfect blue. Corey shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Annie."_

_The blonde sitting beside her in the matching orange shirt scoffed. "Okay, 1. Don't call me Annie. 2. You know exactly what I'm talking about." The girl amnesiac-Corey only knew as Annie was the blonde from the picture in Corey's locket. Her curly blonde hair was pulled into a low ponytail. Her skin was sun-kissed. She was tan and glowing. Her eyes were a stormy gray. Maybe in another circumstance, they'd be intimidating, but to Corey, they were warm and familiar. "I'm your best friend, Cor. You know you can tell me anything."_

_Corey sighed, kicking her feet. "Okay, fine, so I maybe sort of have a crush on Piper."_

_"Finally!" Annie crowed triumphantly. "She admits it!"_

_"Oh shut up, Bird Brain," Corey shot back, but her tone remained playful. "I watched you pine over Percy for how many years?" Annie's face burned bright red._

_She rolled her eyes. "You're so annoying."_

_Corey laughed and threw her arm around Annie's shoulders. "Yeah, I love you too."_

"Corey?"

Corey whipped around to see Ginny approaching her. Corey looked around and realized she'd found her way to the Quidditch pitch while daydreaming. She grabbed her locket and twirled the chain around her finger.

"Hey, Gin," she greeted. "What's up?"

"Figured I'd come early before try-outs," Ginny answered, shrugging. It was misting outside like a storm was on the way. For some reason, the idea of a storm excited Corey. It sent shivers down her spine. "What about you? You here to try-out or just to watch?"

Corey waved her hand dismissively. "No, I don't think I even can try-out. I mean, Muggles can't fly brooms, can they? No, I'm just here to watch." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron approaching.

Hermione picked up speed and grabbed Corey's elbow. "Come on, we can sit together." Together, the two girls made their way into the student section.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier," Hermione apologized as they settled into their seats close to the edge of the pitch. "I just thought maybe you and Harry would make a cute couple."

Corey was silent. She popped open her locket and reexamined the picture within. Now she knew the blonde was Annie, but she still had no idea who the blond guy, the boy with the curly black hair, and the tan-skinned girl were. Maybe the girl was Piper? If so, that girl she'd told Annie she had a crush on. But she felt nothing like that when she looked at the tan-skinned girl. She just felt...cold.

"Corey?" Hermione prompted, frowning. "Are you alright?"

"Not really," Corey answered honestly. Instead of elaborating, she rested her head on Hermione's shoulder. They watched try-outs mostly in silence. Harry started by separating all the applicants into groups. The first group was all first-years, who, Hermione told Corey, were not allowed to join the Quidditch team. The second group was a bunch of girls who seemed more interested in flirting with Harry than trying-out for the team. When Harry dismissed them, they joined Corey and Hermione in the stands. The third group ended up in a pileup. The fourth group was mostly broomstick-less. The fifth group was all Hufflepuffs.

Harry was scowling furiously. "If there's anyone else here who's not from Gryffindor, leave now, please!" Two Ravenclaws ran off the pitch. Two hours later, Harry had settled on three Chasers: Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, and Ginny. Demelza was new to the team. Katie had been a Chaser last year and Ginny had subbed in for Harry and played Seeker. There were quite a few people who complained about Harry's decisions, leading to a lot of screaming.

"That's my final decision and if you don't get out of the way for the Keepers I'll hex you," Harry bellowed at the rejected Beaters.

Corey smirked. Angry Harry was kind of hot. She looked around at all the remaining spectators and nudged Hermione. "Is Harry famous or something?"

"Yeah," Hermione answered, sighing deeply. "Remember how he said he got his scar, about the evil wizard? Well, when the spell backfired on the evil wizard, it sort of killed him, so Harry became famous for being the Boy Who Lived, as in he survived the killing curse, and also for defeating the evil wizard. Two years ago, the evil wizard was resurrected, but when Harry told everyone, hardly anyone believed him and the Ministry started a smear campaign against him and Dumbledore. You remember what I said at breakfast, right?"

Corey nodded and Hermione continued, "So at the end of last term, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna, and I went to the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic and fought Death Eaters who were trying to take the prophecy about Harry. There was a whole battle, Harry's godfather died, the evil wizard showed up, and the Minister of Magic saw the evil wizard with his own two eyes, so Harry was vindicated. And then everyone heard about the prophecy, that Harry's the one destined to defeat Voldemort — that's the evil wizard. That's why they're calling him the Chosen One."

Corey took that all in as she watched Cormac McLaggen block the first four goals thrown his way. Hermione mumbled something under her breath and McLaggen shot off in the wrong direction.

"Did you say something?" Corey pressed, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk. "Mia, did you cast a spell on McLaggen?"

Hermione scoffed. "Please. I would never." But her face was slightly red and her lips settled into a pleased smile. It was Ron's turn now. He looked a bit green. Corey's gaze wandered back to Harry, who was surely silently cheering his best friend on.

Corey nodded. "Yes, he is."

"What?" Hermione questioned.

"You asked me earlier if I thought Harry was fanciable," Corey said, putting on a posh British accent for 'fanciable.' "My answer is yes. Yes, he is."

Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

Corey let her hair down from its ponytail and ran her fingers through her brown locks. "When someone goes through as much as Harry's gone through, they typically go one of two ways. There's the easy way. They become hardened, bitter, angry at the world. They want others to feel their pain. And then there's the hard way. They've seen mankind at their worst and they still soldier on. They try to shield other people from experiencing the same horrors as them, try to make the world a better place. They're world-weary but still kind."

She tilted her head, admiring Harry as they all clapped for Ron, who'd managed to block all five goals. "The hard way, that takes incredible strength and courage. That's fanciable." She turned to Hermione with a smirk. "And, you know, he's kind of a pretty boy."

The two girls burst into laughter, laughter that quickly died when Corey spotted McLaggen getting all up in Harry's face. She narrowed her eyes. Corey raced down from the stands, Hermione lagging behind.

"Give me another go," McLaggen demanded.

Harry stood his ground. "No. You've had your go. You saved four. Ron saved five. Ron's Keeper, he won it fair and square. Get out of my way." 

If Corey wasn't busy preparing for a fight, she would _so_ find that sexy. But alas, McLaggen looked like he was about to punch Harry, so Corey stepped in. She shoved McLaggen, knocking him on his ass.

He glowered at her. "What the hell was that for?"

"Oops, I didn't see you there," Corey giggled. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, smiling innocently. McLaggen got to his feet and stomped off. She felt a glimmer of satisfaction.

Harry sent her an odd look before turning to his new team. "Well done. You flew really well—"

"You did brilliantly, Ron!" Hermione gushed, just now coming down from the stands. Ron looked rather pleased with himself. Harry and the team settled on a time for their next practice. Once that was done, Harry and Ron walked over to where Corey and Hermione stood.

"We were going to go down and visit Hagrid if you'd like to join us," Hermione said, gesturing in the direction of the groundskeeper's hut.

"Thanks, but I've got a ton of work to do," Corey complained. She smiled at Ron. "Nice job, Ron. And Harry..."

Her brown eyes met his green and for just a moment, the rest of the world faded away. Corey bit her bottom lip, suppressing a shy smile. "Promise you'll take me flying some time?"

"Sure," Harry agreed, his eyes widening ever so slightly as if that was the last thing he'd expected her to say.

She beamed. "Awesome." Quick as lightning, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and ran off back towards the castle.

*

**HARRY**

He watched Corey go, dumbfounded. He gently touched his cheek where her lips had just been. When she kissed him, there'd been a shock, like static electricity. He tried to memorize what that shock felt like. Then he cleared his throat and turned back to Ron and Hermione, who looked incredibly amused.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "She's kind of strange, isn't she?"

Hermione shook her head playfully. "You're pathetic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i completely forgot to update this on here so i'm gonna be posting five new chapters today


	5. bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> corey makes a new friend and discovers a hidden talent.

**COREY**

On the morning of their first trip into Hogsmeade, Corey was practically bursting with excitement. Although technically students needed a signed permission slip from a guardian to go into Hogsmeade, Corey didn't have a guardian, so the decision fell into Professor McGonagall's hands. McGonagall was quick to approve of Corey getting out of the castle.

"I think any excuse for her to expend some of her endless energy should be taken," McGonagall had said to Dumbledore.

Corey, bundled up in borrowed clothing, was already sitting with Hermione at the Gryffindor table when Ron and Harry made their way into the Great Hall. Ron wasted no time in telling the girls about how Harry had woken him up that morning.

"...and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again!" Ron regaled cheerfully as he dumped links of sausage onto his plate. From the way he'd told it, Corey guessed she was supposed to laugh, but instead, she felt uneasy.

"Was this spell, by any chance, another one from that potions book of yours?" Hermione asked, narrowing her eyes at Harry.

Harry frowned. "You always jump to the worst conclusion, don't you?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes further. "Was it?"

"Well...yeah, it was, but so what?"

Hermione looked appalled. "So you just decided to try out an unknown, handwritten incantation and see what would happen?"

"Why does it matter if it's handwritten?" Harry shot back.

"Because it's probably not Ministry of Magic–approved," Hermione pointed out. "And also, because I'm starting to think this Prince character was a bit dodgy." Harry and Ron rolled their eyes.

Corey bit the inside of her cheek. "I'm with Mia on this one. I mean, I don't know about this Half-blood Prince guy, but using random spells you find written down in an old textbook without testing them first? That's asking for disaster. But—"

Ron cut her off.

"It was a laugh!" he insisted. He poured ketchup all over his sausages. Corey scrunched up her face in distaste. Gross. "Just a laugh, that's all!"

Hermione scoffed. "Dangling people upside down by the ankle? Who puts their time and energy into making up spells like that?"

"Fred and George," Ron said with a shrug. Right, his prankster brothers, "it's their kind of thing. And, er—"

"My dad," Harry interjected. When Ron and Hermione voiced their confusion, he added, "My dad used this spell. I—Lupin told me." Wait, who the fuck was Lupin? Oh, she really needed to ask Hermione for some sort of chart explaining who all these people were.

Hermione's voice became much quieter. "Maybe your dad did use it, Harry, but he's not the only one. We've seen a whole bunch of people use it, in case you've forgotten. Dangling people in the air. Making them float along, asleep, helpless." By this point, Corey was incredibly lost, but the way Hermione described it made her shudder.

Ron shook his head. "That was different. They were abusing it. Harry and his dad were just having a laugh. You don't like the Prince, Hermione, because he's better than you at Potions —"

"It's got nothing to do with it!" Hermione said heatedly. "I just think it's very irresponsible to start performing spells when you don't even know what they're for, and stop talking about 'the Prince' as if it's his title, I bet it's just a stupid nickname, and it doesn't seem as though he was a very nice person to me!"

Corey flinched. "Guys—"

"I don't see where you get that from," Harry retorted. "If he'd been a budding Death Eater he wouldn't have been boasting about being 'half-blood,' would he?"

Hermione refused to back down. "The Death Eaters can't all be pure-blood, there aren't enough pure-blood wizards left. I expect most of them are half-bloods pretending to be pure. It's only Muggleborns they hate, they'd be quite happy to let you and Ron join up."

"There is no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!" Ron roared. He brandished his fork like a sword and a bit of sausage flew off, hitting a nearby Hufflepuff.

"And they'd love to have me," Harry said sarcastically. "We'd be best pals if they didn't keep trying to do me in." Ron laughed and Hermione smiled begrudgingly, but Corey still had a bitter taste in her mouth. First of all, she really did not like how Ron and Harry treated Hermione. Hermione's concerns were entirely valid, and the way they dismissed her made Corey want to punch them. Second of all, she really had something to say, but they wouldn't let her speak.

When Ginny walked off after delivering a note, Corey cleared her throat forcefully. "You know, there's a solution to this."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Learn Latin," Corey said simply. Harry scoffed. She frowned, clenching her fists. "Seriously! All of your spells are Latin. Like, Nox, that means night in Latin. Levicorpus? Break that down. Levi, like levitate, as in lift. And corpus, as in corpse, so body. The spell is literally 'lift body.' Break down the spells you find in your textbook like that and figure out what they do before you use them on anyone so you don't accidentally kill somebody."

Hermione, Harry, and Ron gaped at Corey like they simply couldn't believe she'd said something so intelligent. Gods, it made Corey's blood boil. She jumped up from her seat. "Is it really that shocking I'm not a complete idiot? You know what? Fuck you guys."

She took off, tears blurring her vision. She couldn't remember much about her past, but that look was burned into her brain. Everyone always thought Corey was the dumbest bitch alive, incapable of saying something smart. And it killed her because they were right. Corey was a fucking idiot.

But she was an idiot with common sense.

She got through Filch's search quickly and started towards Hogsmeade. It was fucking freezing, but Corey didn't mind the cold. It was sharp and bitter and it froze her tear ducts shut. She weathered the icy winds, taking pleasure in how it hurt. It reminded her that she was alive. Human. And she'd take a freezing tundra over the sweltering desert any day.

Her first stop was Honeyduke's. She had a bit of money, all donations from her fellow Gryffindors. She bought herself some chocolate, then headed to the Three Broomsticks. As she left Honeyduke's, she caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They tried to catch her eye but simply swept past them like she hadn't seen them.

Once in the Three Broomsticks, she took an empty seat at the bar. She knew there were people around with whom she could sit. She just felt like being alone at the moment. She ordered a butterbeer, took a sip, and nearly spat it out.

"British people have bad taste," Corey muttered. Still, she paid the bartender and took the bottle of butterbeer with her. Again, her three friends entered while she exited, and again she paid them no mind. She trudged down the street to Gladrags Wizardwear — she seriously needed some clothes on her own.

She walked inside to see it was void of customers. The only other person in sight was an older girl behind the counter, reading a copy of Witch Weekly. Corey started browsing the racks. Most of it was unwearable. Wizard fashion was _so_ not Corey's style. She managed to find some hidden gems she suspected were originally from Muggle shops.

She set her treasures down on the counter. "Hi."

The older girl startled and nearly fell off her stool. She regained her composure and dropped her magazine by her feet. She talked as she started ringing up the clothes. "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

"Kind of," Corey answered. The older girl nodded and used her wand to neatly pack the clothing away into a few brown paper bags. She thrust the bags into Corey's arms. Corey took them, left what she hoped was the right amount of money on the counter, and escaped the confines of the shop.

She sighed. Being alone sucked.

"Corey?"

She whipped around to see Violet Barnaby holding a bag marked 'Tomes and Scrolls.' Violet crossed the street to where Corey stood, her purple hair an almost violent pop of color against the frosty village. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah," Corey said. "I uh, I was just doing some shopping." She lifted her bags as proof.

Violet nodded. "Yeah, me too." They stared at each other for a minute or two, both at a loss for words, until Violet asked, "Wanna walk back to school together?"

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Corey answered. The two girls fell in step as they started back towards Hogwarts.

Violet played with the handle of her bag. "So, how are you liking school so far? You seem to be settling in pretty well."

"It's fine." Corey shrugged. "I mean, it's weird, you know? I know I'm not supposed to be here, and I miss people whose names and faces I can't even remember. I don't even remember my mom's name, or what she looks like, but I know I miss her hugs."

"I'm sorry," Violet said softly. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "I can't imagine what that's like."

Corey watched her out of the corner of her eye. "Do you miss your parents?"

Violet's eyes darken. "Actually, I never knew my parents. I've been in and out of foster care since I can remember." She noticed Corey's face fall and quickly forced a smile. "It's really not that big of a deal. But I guess I do kind of get it. The whole not knowing who you are, where you come from. It's...it sucks." 

She managed a genuine (though decidedly tired) smile. Corey smiled back. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one with blank pages in their stories. It was an odd sort of comradery, but it was comradery nonetheless.

They lapsed into silence. They had just left Hogsmeade when Violet posed a question, a strange look in her eyes. "Do you remember anything?"

"Not really," Corey said. Violet relaxed almost imperceptibly. Still, Corey noticed. She decided not to mention it, choosing to instead add, "It's bits and pieces, mostly. I remember this guy, Percy, and I remember Annie. She's my best friend, I think. And I kind of remember this girl Piper."

She also remembered nearly bleeding out in the desert, but she elected to keep that to herself.

As they walked, they came upon a small group of people which included Parvati and Lavender.

"Oh, Corey, it was awful!" Lavender cried out, throwing her arms around Corey as soon as she was in sight. "Katie Bell got cursed or something. She was screaming. It was so scary."

"What?" Corey gasped, disentangling herself from Lavender. "What do you mean she got cursed?"

Parvati looked haunted. "She had this package with this necklace inside, and the package tore and she touched it, and she just lost it. When we got here, they had her pinned to the ground. She was writhing around like a maniac. She wouldn't stop screaming."

"Who did?" Violet pressed.

"Ron and Hermione," Lavender said, "and Katie's friend, Leanne, I think. Then Harry came with Hagrid and Hagrid carried Katie back to the castle, and Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Leanne followed."

Despite the freezing temperatures, Corey suddenly felt like she was boiling alive.

"I have to go," she mumbled. She ran back to the castle. Filch searched her once more and then she was off. She sprinted to Gryffindor Tower, up the stairs to the sixth year girls' dorm, and threw her bags on her bed. She then rushed to undress, tearing off each item of clothing like they were suffocating her. When she was fully naked, she slipped into the bathroom and into the shower.

She turned on the water, setting it to as cold as it could get. She shivered underneath the icy torrent but still didn't turn up the temperature. She hugged herself desperately and tried to steady her breathing. Screams echoed in her ears. She had no idea who they belonged to and a part of her didn't want to know. She sobbed as quietly as she could manage.

She reached for her back where the burn marks stung as if they were fresh. She ran her fingers over her many scars, counting them in her head. She craned her head toward the ceiling, took a deep breath, and screamed. She screamed as loud as she could, pouring everything into it. 

There was a flash of light. She heard the sound of glass shattering. She quickly turned off the shower and peaked outside the curtain. The mirror had broken into what seemed like hundreds of little pieces. There were glass shards everywhere. She had done that. Somehow, she had broken the mirror.

She laughed bitterly. They were wrong about her. She wasn't a Muggle.

She was something far more dangerous.


	6. flying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> harry makes good on a promise and corey remembers some stuff.

**COREY**

By the time the weekend ended, Corey had made up with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Still, she kept her distance, preferring to spend her time with Ginny and/or Violet, both of whom made delightful company. Violet helped Corey with all of her schoolwork and the two discussed how weird British people were. Ginny was witty and sharp, always able to come up with a funny response or a biting retort. Before Corey, as Ginny had told her, Ginny and Violet never really spoke, but now the three of them had become quite good friends.

Corey was sitting with Violet in the Gryffindor common room playing war when Ginny came stomping in. She flopped down in the free chair at Corey and Violet's table, scowling. "I cannot believe him."

"Quidditch practice that bad?" Violet asked, shuffling the playing cards in her hands. Violet too had ADHD, and so, like Corey, she was always fidgeting, always trying to find something to do with her hands.

"Yes and no," Ginny sighed. "Ron was awful today. He punched Demelza in the face trying to block a goal. But then it got so much worse. Dean and I, we were in that corridor that's a shortcut to the tower, right? And we were kissing, and Ron and Harry come bursting in—"

"No!" both Violet and Corey gasped.

Ginny threw her head back with a groan. "It was awful! Ron got all upset, yelling at me. I mean, he basically called me a slag."

"I'll kill him," Corey offered.

Ginny waved her hand dismissively and then carried on with her story. "So, I got defensive and I started saying all this shit about how he's just bitter because he's never kissed anyone besides our Aunt Muriel, and we were arguing, and it got so heated. At one point, we both had our wands out, and poor Harry was in the middle of it, trying to keep us from killing each other. And then I told Ron he had about as much kissing experience as a twelve-year-old and I stormed off." Corey couldn't help but laugh at that. Violet joined in, and soon enough, Ginny did too.

When they stopped laughing, Corey leaned back in her seat and waggled her eyebrows at Ginny. "So, I guess that means you're taking Dean to Slughorn's Christmas party, then?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Ginny said. "I haven't actually asked him yet, but who else would I take?"

"You'll have to bring us back some food," Violet said. Neither she nor Corey was invited to Slughorn's Christmas party. There was a tiny part of Corey that had hoped maybe Harry would ask her, but even if he did, it wasn't like she had a dress. What would she wear?

Ginny chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I will." She pointed to the cards Violet was shuffling absentmindedly. "Can I join?"

Violet winced. "I don't think you can play war with three people."

"No, but you can play BS," Corey chimed in. Violet's face lit up.

Ginny furrowed her brow, frowning slightly. "What's BS?" Violet and Corey exchanged amused looks.

Corey shook her head playfully. "Oh, sweet summer child. You have so much to learn. Okay, so, the rules of BS are simple..."

*

A week later, on Sunday after lunch, Corey was talking to Violet as they wandered the halls when Harry walked up to them, holding his broomstick. He looked weary. Maybe he'd just come from practice? But no, Ginny hadn't mentioned having practice today.

"Hey," Corey greeted, slightly confused. They hadn't spoken much that week. Hermione and Corey were talking regularly again, mostly due to Ginny, but Harry and Corey's conversations had become a 'once in a blue moon' kind of occasion. Ron and Corey didn't speak at all, as Ron was still being a dick to Ginny, and Corey was firmly on Ginny's side.

Harry's smile was tentative. "Remember how I promised you I'd take you flying?"

Corey's face split into a grin. She grabbed Harry's hand and ran to the Quidditch pitch, bidding Violet a quick goodbye over her shoulder. When they got to the pitch, Harry straddled his broomstick. Corey climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso. Slowly, they began to rise.

"Whoa," Corey mumbled, watching as the ground became farther and farther away. Soon enough, they were hovering above the Quidditch pitch. Corey's eyes were shining. This was incredible. Something about being this high up felt right. It certainly didn't hurt that it gave her an excuse to hold Harry.

"You feeling okay?" Harry asked. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

She met his gaze. Her grin widened. "Could we do some barrel-rolls or something?" He laughed slightly but took her suggestion. He seemed eager to show off. They swooped over and under, diving towards the ground then pulling up at the last second, twisting and turning through the air. Corey loved it. The wind in her hair, the sun on her face, the way she felt like she could just reach out and grab a cloud out of the heavens.

She threw her hands up in the air and whooped like she was on a rollercoaster. And just like, she was falling.

"Corey!" Harry yelled as she plummeted through the air. The wind roared in her ears. Harry was rushing towards her, but she doubted he would get there in time. She was going to hit the ground head-first and splatter like a pancake. She closed her eyes to avoid seeing her impending doom.

A voice whispered in the back of her head, _Fly high, Supergirl._

Her eyes opened. She felt a strong tug in her gut. She was falling faster than Harry could fly, and then, as a serene state settled over her, she wasn't. She was inches away from the ground and she was floating. No, she was flying.

She shot up into the air, feeling the winds threading through her fingers. Harry had come to an abrupt stop mid-air. She rose until she was level with him. "Hi."

Harry was dumbstruck. "You can fly?"

"I can fly!" she shrieked. She did a somersault through the grayish blue sky. She screamed joyfully, flying circles around Harry. She flew through the air like a torpedo, cheering all the while. Eventually, she settled back on the ground. Seconds later, Harry landed beside her.

He clambered off his broomstick and gaped at her. "You can fly."

Corey was beaming and bouncing up and down. "I can fly!" She launched herself forward and threw her arms around Harry. She forced him to bounce with her. "I can fly! I can fly!"

She laughed uproariously, pulling away from Harry but grabbing hold of his hands. He started laughing too. They were laughing and dancing around the pitch without a care in the world. Corey couldn't believe it. She could fly! She could _fly._ She was basically a brunette Supergirl.

"We have to tell Dumbledore," Harry said, holding onto her shoulders tightly. Corey froze. For some reason, she wasn't down with the idea of telling Dumbledore about her capability for flight. There was something about the old man that she found off-putting. She knew all of her friends trusted him, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"No," Corey stated firmly.

Harry knitted his brow in confusion. "What? Why wouldn't we tell Dumbledore?"

Corey bit her bottom lip. "It's just...this is so new. I don't want to tell anyone just yet. Can we please just keep this between us? For now?" It was clear from the look in his eyes that he didn't understand her decision, but he reluctantly nodded.

"Okay," he agreed. She grinned at him and he returned it tenfold. His grin faltered slightly. He slid his hands down her arms to her hands, which he then took. Corey's breath caught in her throat. His touch was electrifying. He looked down at the ground, then shyly met her eyes. "Would you like to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with me?"

Corey's heart soared. She was smart enough to know her crush on Harry wasn't wise, and that pursuing him was a bad idea that would only lead to heartbreak. She knew all that and she simply didn't care.

"Oh, Harry, I'd love to," she assured him, "but I don't have anything to wear, and I'm sick of borrowing other people's clothes."

His face fell. He thought on that for a moment before his eyes lit up. "I could buy you a dress."

"What?" Corey tilted her head curiously.

"You pick out a dress, and I'll pay for it," Harry told her. "I...I have plenty of money. Whatever you want, I can buy it for you."

"Really?" Corey gasped. Her eyes were sparkling. She squealed and embraced Harry once again, pulling his body flush to hers. "Harry, you're the greatest! I've missed you."

It took Harry a beat, but eventually, he returned the hug, encircling his arms around her waist. He was just tall enough that he could rest his chin atop Corey's head. "Yeah, I missed you too, Cor."

If it was up to Corey, she probably never would've let go. But as wonderful as it was in Harry's arms, it, like everything else, had to end sometime.

*

Corey had no idea how or where to get a dress, so she turned to the resident fashion experts of Gryffindor Tower: Parvati and Lavender.

As soon as she mentioned she was dress shopping, the two girls reached into their trunks and pulled out stacks of catalogs for Corey to peruse. With each new dress that she pointed out came a discussion about shoes, makeup, and accessories. Corey didn't know much about dressing up, so she listened intently.

"You want something that'll make you stand out, but not too much," Lavender lectured. "Something sexy, but not too sexy. How deep of a neckline are you comfortable with?"

Corey scratched her head. "Uh, not that deep."

Parvati was examining Corey's face intensely. "Hm. I think a nice blue would match your skin tone, or maybe a gold dress, or a red one. Black would work too, of course. Black looks good on everyone."

"Wearing red to a Christmas party might be a bit tacky," Lavender said. "Though I'm sure you could make it work, Cor. You're absolutely gorgeous. You could rock just about anything."

Corey ducked her head shyly. "Thanks."

"What's Harry wearing?" Parvati questioned. "You'll want to wear complementary colors."

"I don't know," Corey answered with a shrug.

Lavender scoffed. "Well, go ask him! We can't decide on your outfit until we know what his looks like." Corey, thankful for an excuse to get out of the room, jumped to her feet, and ran out of the dorm. She slid down the stair banister. Since discovering she could fly, she felt a bit invincible.

Harry was on the couch with Ron. Corey hurried over and took a seat on the arm of the couch by Harry. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, smiling. "Lavender and Parvati want to know what you're wearing to Slughorn's party."

He scrunched his face up. "Why do they want to know what I'm wearing to Slughorn's party?"

"Because they're helping me pick out a dress," Corey explained. "Apparently, there are a ton of rules about this stuff. Like, we have to wear complementary colors. It's like when I asked Silena to help me figure out what to wear to my eighth-grade semi all over again."

"Who's Silena?" Ron asked. "And since when are you two going to Slughorn's party together?"

That was a great question. The first one, not the one about Harry and Corey going to Slughorn's party together. Who was Silena? Corey couldn't put a face to the name but she knew she'd relied on this Silena for fashion advice before. Silena and someone named Drew. For some reason, thinking about Silena made Corey very, very sad.

"Silena's an old friend, I think," Corey said. Her voice had gone soft. She shook her head, trying to shake off the bad memories that she didn't even really remember. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, so, Harry, what are you wearing? I'm pretty sure if I don't come back with an answer, Lavender will gut me like a fish."

"Uh, I don't know, I ordered it from a catalog," Harry answered. "I'll go get it for you." He got up from the couch and headed up to the boys' dorm, leaving Ron and Corey alone. They were silent for a moment.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with kissing people," Corey spoke up. "Just like there's nothing wrong with not kissing people. Everyone's comfortable with different things. As long as both parties are consenting, comfortable, and having fun, that's all that really matters."

Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, okay."

"And slut-shaming is bullshit," Corey added, her voice growing more and more heated. "Virginity is a social construct designed to shame and discourage women from owning their sexuality and their bodies. It doesn't matter how many people a girl's kissed, or how many people she's slept with. She's still a human being and should be treated as such. She shouldn't be treated as less because she's comfortable with who she is."

Ron's face was bright red. "I have to go—"

"I'm not done," Corey snapped. She had the distinct sensation that she'd given this speech before. "Women have been fighting to be seen as equals since the dawn of civilization. If you really care about Ginny and Hermione, you'd listen to them and support them instead of constantly judging them and shaming them for their interests and desires. Until then, you're part of the problem."

His name was Robbie. He was in her College Prep US History class freshman year. He'd said something about how women already had rights, so why did they need feminism? Corey spent most of the rest of the class ranting about the patriarchy and rape culture and how, until everyone was treated equally under the law, no one was equal. She'd talked about intersectional feminism versus white feminism and how society had an entirely different vocabulary for women than for men. She'd gotten detention thanks to her use of colorful language, but she effectively shut Robbie up.

She remembered regaling her mom with the tale. Stella. That was her mom's name. Gods, she'd been so proud of Corey. All of Corey's knowledge of feminism stemmed from her mom, who'd done her best to ensure Corey never bought into society's bullshit. Corey grew up going to marches and rallies, volunteering at soup kitchens, and the like. When Stella first gave birth to Corey, they stayed in a homeless shelter until Stella got enough money to get them their own place.

Corey could hear her mom's voice in her ear, raspy as always. "You got to pay it forward, lightning bug."

Lightning bug. Corey's mom called her lightning bug.

Corey was awoken from her trance-like state by the sound of Harry's footsteps on the stairs. She didn't realize she was crying until he wiped tears from her cheeks. "Corey? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just need to lie down," she said. She took the catalog from his hand. "Thanks. And think about what I said, Ron."

Then she ran up the stairs to the girls' dorms. She slipped inside the sixth years' dorms, tossed the catalog on Lavender's bed, and collapsed onto her own. She drew the curtains shut around her, kicking her shoes off and knocking them off the bed and onto the floor.

She curled up into the fetal position, replaying the memory over and over again in her head. _"You got to pay it forward, lightning bug. I love you."_

Corey grinned, teary-eyed. _I love you too, Mom._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if corey's speech feels out of place or preachy but re-reading the part where ron and harry walk in on ginny and dean and ron proceeds to call her a slut made me very angry


	7. anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jason begs the universe for a sign, corey's a storm with skin, and violet gets introspective.

**JASON**

Almost six months now.

As Christmas drew nearer and nearer, Jason's mood worsened. They were still nowhere close to finding Corey. Violet was scrying every day and still, nothing. Every search party came up empty. It didn't help that he was one of the only ones left at camp now. Piper, Annabeth, Percy, and Lou Ellen had all gone home for the school year. It was really just Jason, Leo, and Will now. 

Essentially, the 'Find Corey' committee had disassembled.

Jason felt hopeless. At the last cabin counselors' meeting, they'd decided if there wasn't a sign of Corey by January 1st, they'd make and burn her burial shroud. She'd be officially declared dead, which meant everyone would stop looking for her. His sister would be gone.

"Come on, Cor," he whispered. He was sitting on his bed in Cabin One. Cabin One was covered with reminders of Corey. When she'd been claimed after the Second Titan War, she'd taken it upon herself to redecorate and make the cabin homier. She'd strung up fairy lights, set up some proper beds, and had Annabeth add on a bathroom. After Jason moved in, they woke up one day to find the giant statue of Zeus had vanished. They'd used that new space to create a sort of living room. 

Jason was staring at the photo Nico had taken of Jason, Corey, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and Piper. Corey had an identical one in the celestial bronze locket Leo made for her. Jason, teary-eyed, ran his thumb over the slightly blurry image of Corey. "Please, Cor. If you're alive, send some sort of sign."

*

**COREY**

When she woke up the morning of the first Quidditch match of the season, she didn't feel like getting out of bed. Maybe it was because she had hardly slept (again), but she stayed under her covers until Hermione pulled her curtains open and yanked her covers off the bed. Corey slunk out of bed and fished out her clothes for the day from her trunk. Hermione was talking. None of it registered in Corey's brain. Her mind was so numb that she forgot to go into the bathroom to change. Lost in thought akin to white noise, she tugged her shirt off and reluctantly put on her bra.

"Corey!"

Corey whirled around to face Hermione, who looked as though she'd witnessed something awful. Corey rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, did you ask me something?"

"Your back," Hermione gasped. "Your...Your arms." It took Corey's sleep-deprived brain a minute to realize what had just happened. Her scars. They were on full display for all to see. She'd done a great job so far of hiding the more gnarly ones, but now her dormmates could see just about all of them.

"Yeah," she said. "It's not a big deal."

Hermione tried to swallow her concern. "Do...Do you remember how you got them?"

"Nope," Corey replied. She pulled her shirt, a beige sweater, on. "I'm not ashamed of them, Mia. That's not why I've been hiding them. I know my scars mean that I'm a survivor, and that's something to be proud of. I just didn't feel like dealing with all of the questions." She shimmed into black skinny jeans, tucking her sweater into her jeans.

"Corey," Hermione repeated, her voice much softer.

Corey rolled her eyes as she threaded her belt through the loops of her pants. "Seriously, Mia, it's fine." She laced her sneakers up and tied back her hair with a thin white ribbon. From there, she disappeared into the bathroom to do some light makeup, mostly to conceal the dark bags under her eyes. She swept out of the bathroom, grabbed her bag from where it laid against her trunk, and left their dorm, bypassing Hermione.

She made her way to the Great Hall alone. She sat down next to Violet, who donned a red and gold sweater. Violet raised her eyebrows. "No house pride?"

"Why would I be proud?" Corey retorted, her eyes narrowed. "We haven't won yet." Violet just pulled a Gryffindor scarf out of her bag and draped it around Corey's neck. They ate in silence until the Quidditch team strolled into the Great Hall. The rest of the Gryffindor table went wild, but Corey just continued eating. Unfortunately, Harry and Ron took the empty seats next to Corey.

Lavender called from down the table, "Cheer up, Ron! I know you'll be brilliant!" Ron seemed to be in a similar mood to Corey, which didn't bode well for Gryffindor's prospects.

"Tea?" Harry offered him. "Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

"Anything," Ron grumbled. He tore off a chunk of toast and chewed it as though it was his very last meal. Corey wasn't sure why, but she had the feeling she'd been in that mindset before.

Hermione, who was working her way up the table, paused by Harry and Ron. "How are you both feeling?"

"Fine," Harry answered, passing Ron a goblet of pumpkin juice. "There you go, Ron. Drink up."

"Don't drink that, Ron!"

Hermione's sharp tone sent a jolt through Corey's system. Suddenly, the Great Hall was chock full of static electricity. Lavender and Parvati started to complain loudly about what it was doing to their hair. Some of the more childish students took great pleasure in shocking one another. No one seemed to notice Corey hadn't been affected. No one seemed to notice her tight grip on the table or the burnt handprints her grip left behind.

(And no one, not even Corey, noticed when Violet discreetly waved her wand, muttering "Scourgify," under her breath, and the burnt handprints vanished as though they'd never existed.)

"Ron, I warn you, don't drink it!" Hermione was crowing, unfazed by the static. Corey's heart was racing, pushing against her lungs and ribcage in a desperate attempt to escape her chest. Her skin was crawling and on fire all at once, a most undesirable combination.

Ron drank the entire glass in one large gulp. "Stop bossing me around, Hermione."

Corey's eye twitched. She shot up from her seat and stormed out of the Great Hall. It was happening again. She was practically bursting with electricity. It had been happening every now and then since Hogsmeade. She just needed a release. She needed an outlet.

She ran to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, down by Hagrid's hut. She took a deep breath and let go. There was that tug in the pit of her stomach again. Thunder roared and then lightning struck the ground all around her, scorching the grass. As quickly as it began, it was over. She wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground and pass out, but she summoned the last of her strength and started the walk to the Quidditch pitch.

For some inexplicable reason, she managed a smirk and thought, _That enough of a sign for ya?_

*

**HARRY**

"What the hell was that?" Ron questioned, eyes transfixed on the spot Corey had once resided. Harry shuddered. It was like the day of their first Hogsmeade trip all over again. She'd gone from placid to frothing at the mouth. It was almost like someone had flicked a switch in her brain.

Violet looked pale and clammy. "You know how one second, it's a beautiful sunny day and then the next second it's storming like it's the end of days?"

"Yeah," Harry said.

"That's Corey," she elaborated. "She's impulsive and temperamental. She's less of a girl and more like a storm with skin."

Corey's voice echoed in Harry's head. _To storm or fire, the world must fall._

"You talk like you've known her for years," Ron remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Violet's face flushed. "Well, we've been spending a lot of time together! And maybe you'd know her better if you weren't such a misogynistic asshole!" Then it was her turn to exit the Great Hall dramatically.

Harry let out a low whistle and clamped his hand down on Ron's shoulder. "You sure do have a way with the ladies."

"Bugger off," Ron grunted. "Now come on, we've got a Quidditch match to win."

*

**VIOLET**

If Corey wasn't careful, she was going to ruin everything.

It'd been three months since Violet woke up with her mother's voice ringing in her ears, just one clear word: _Don't._

She hadn't understood until later that morning when someone ran into her in the hallway. As soon as Violet's eyes locked with Corey's, the curse word on the tip of her tongue died out and she knew exactly what her mother meant. _Don't. Don't say anything. Don't mess this up._

She hated it. She hated lying to Corey's family and friends (one of which was her own half-sister), especially when she knew how much they were relying on her, how much weight they'd given her words. But as much as she hated it, her mother's order came first. She could only hope that when they inevitably found out, they'd forgive her. After all, they forgave Nico di Angelo awfully quickly for doing almost the exact same thing.

When she got to the Quidditch stadium, she saw a tired-looking Corey had already claimed their seats and was calling her over. Violet felt another rush of guilt. She hadn't meant to become friends with amnesiac-Corey. It had just sort of happened, and now she was in too deep. She knew it'd be better to keep her distance. She knew when Corey got her memories back, she'd probably hate Violet for the rest of her life.

But it was so nice having a friend for once.

And not just one friend. Becoming friends with Corey led to becoming friends with Ginny, and then Hermione and Neville, and then Luna. For the first time in her five years at Hogwarts, Violet had actual friends, even if it all was built on a lie. Gods. Who was she kidding? When the truth came out, she'd be alone again. Hades, she might even be kicked out of camp.

A part of her hated her mother for putting this weight on her shoulders. It wasn't fair. Violet had always been a good daughter. When Hecate sided with Kronos during the Second Titan War, Violet left camp to join Luke's army. She didn't want to, but it was what her mother wanted, so she did it, and she watched her siblings and allies be slaughtered by gods and demigods alike. Every now and then, her mind would drift to Alabaster, her brother, who had refused to give up the fight even long after the Olympians had won the war. Alabaster, who was banned from camp because he would rather die than play nice with those who had cast him and his mother aside.

"Hey, Vi," Corey greeted as Violet finally reached their seats. Corey had chosen a section in the highest point of the stands because of course she did. She was a daughter of Zeus. Heights didn't bother her; they exhilarated her. Meanwhile Violet was doing her best not to vomit. She'd never been good with heights.

Corey frowned, leaning in slightly as if to get a closer look. "Are you alright? You look...sad."

"I'm fine," Violet answered quickly - too quickly. Corey didn't look even remotely convinced. Violet swallowed her fears, her anxieties, and the bile rushing up her throat, and amended, "I just, uh, I'm not good with heights."

Corey winced. "Oh shit. Sorry. Come on, we can move down if that'll help."

"Yeah, that would be great," Violet said. The two girls claimed new seats on the bottom row just as the stands began to fill up. Neville and Luna came to join them as well as all the Gryffindors who had taken a liking to Corey; Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, Cormac, and even a few from Violet's grade, like Colin. Corey had the same effect at camp. It was just impossible not to like her. No matter how annoying she could be, how much she snapped over little things, you still wanted nothing more than to be on her good side. Violet wasn't sure if Corey got that from her father or her mother.

"Did you hear?" Dean asked, minutes before the game began. Corey was so fixated on Luna's lion hat that he had to repeat himself in order to get her attention. When her eyes found his face, he elaborated, "Malfoy's not playing. Apparently, he's sick."

Lavender grinned. "Well, that's good for us, right? I heard his replacement is dreadful."

"Yeah, and Vaisley's off too," Seamus chimed in. "Bastard took a Bludger to the head during practice yesterday. And with the weather so nice, Gryffindor's guaranteed a win!"

"So the party's on, then?" Parvati giggled excitedly.

"Should be, yeah," Cormac said absentmindedly, too busy glaring at the goals to give the conversation his all.

Lavender leaned over and nudged him. "Hey, is it true Lowry got firewhiskey for the party?"

"I don't think so, but I know he stole some sherry from Trewlaney's office," Cormac told her. Lavender and Parvati turned to each other and squealed. Corey and Violet exchanged looks. Neither of them were really party people. Sure, after winning a war, they could get down, but for something as trivial as winning a Quidditch match? No thank you.

Corey scrunched her face up the way she always did when she was trying to remember something. "And Malfoy...he's the one Harry hates, right?"

Neville nodded. "He and Harry have had a rivalry since first year. You know, last time Malfoy couldn't play, he made them reschedule the match to help out the Slytherins. Wonder why he didn't do it this time."

"Maybe because he didn't want to draw attention to himself," Corey suggested. "I mean, it's been three months and I haven't heard him speak to Harry once. Maybe he's laying low this year."

Parvati shrugged. "Maybe. It'd make sense after what happened with his dad." The others nodded sagely, but Corey just looked more confused.

"What happened with his dad?" she pressed.

"You heard about what happened at the Department of Mysteries, right?" Neville inquired. Corey nodded. "Well, Malfoy's dad was one of the Death Eaters who got locked up."

Seamus snorted. "Yeah, it's no wonder he's acting different. Doesn't exactly have a daddy to complain to anymore." He cleared his voice, then in his best imitation of Malfoy, declared, "My father will hear about this!"

Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati dissolved into a laughing fit. Cormac was still off in outer space. Neville looked guilty. Luna was fiddling with her hat, paying their conversation no mind. Corey was massaging her temples like she had a headache. Violet couldn't bring herself to laugh.

_Doesn't exactly have a daddy to complain to anymore._

Violet fiddled with the frayed hem of her jean jacket. She felt sick to her stomach because she'd lied. That was all she'd done these past three months, lie, but one of them haunted her the most because it had nothing to do with Corey's past, and it had everything to do with Violet's.

She'd told Corey she grew up in foster care and never knew her parents, which was mostly true. Violet did spend most of her life pre-Camp Half-Blood in foster care with no clue who her mother was until she was nine. That was when she was discovered by a satyr named Roland. Roland took her to camp and about a year later she was claimed by Hecate. The thing was, Violet had always known exactly who her father was.

She was only four when she was taken from him, but she'd been allowed to visit him until she was seven, so she remembered him clear as day. Good old Victor Barnaby. He was such a charmer. He'd raised Violet on empty promises and dreams of a better future. Child Services took her away after he left her home alone all night. She'd wailed and wailed until their neighbors called the police and then the police called Child Services and then Child Services discovered this was not the first time Victor had left Violet home alone for hours on end.

He was charged with neglect and Violet was promptly placed in her first (but most definitely not her last) foster home. He spent a year in jail. When he got out, he arranged for visitation, and for the next two years, Violet saw her father once a week, maybe twice depending on the foster family she was staying with. He'd made her more empty promises, telling her that he was getting his act together, and soon they'd been a family again.

Then, when she was seven, he'd been arrested on five accounts of armed robbery and charged as an accessory to murder. She found out he'd gotten into contact with his old cellmate and that together, they'd hatched a plan to steal from convenience stores until they had enough money that they could live out the rest of their days comfortably and Victor could finally provide for Violet like a father was supposed to. Of course, it all went wrong when Victor's partner killed a cashier. The court's ruling meant Victor would spend the rest of his days in prison.

When she first heard, Violet had cried, and then the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Angry that her dad had done something so idiotic, angry that no one had ever given him a fair shot so he felt he had no choice but to turn to crime, angry that foster family after foster family rejected her, angry that the only person who had ever loved her was gone from her life forever and angry because she knew no one would love her ever again.

And maybe that's why she was so eager to please her mom because she just wanted somebody to love her. Sure, she had her siblings at camp, but they didn't know the truth about her. She wanted someone who knew everything and loved her regardless, and Hecate was the closest she would ever get to that. But if she wanted her mother to love her, she couldn't screw this up.

So she turned to Corey and smiled gently. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right? I'm great at keeping secrets."

Corey thought on it, her eyes still glued to the Quidditch match happening a few feet away. Finally, she locked eyes with Violet and matched her soft smile. "After the party starts, meet me on top of the Astronomy Tower. I have something I want to show you."

Violet knew full well she was an awful person, and she knew full well that no one would ever truly love her for that very reason. But maybe, just maybe, this whole thing wouldn't end in complete disaster.

Maybe.


	8. party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ginny witnesses something she wasn't supposed to, violet and ginny have a bit of a heart-to-heart, and hermione gives ron a taste of his own medicine.

**COREY**

A part of Corey didn't want to leave the party.

Not that she was much of a party person, but she was actually having fun with her friends and she was also maybe terrified of making good on her deal with Violet. She knew she couldn't keep her lightning a secret for much longer, not without help from a friend, but the idea of someone else knowing scared her shitless. What if Violet immediately turned around and told everyone? What if Corey was exiled from Hogwarts for being a freak? Where would she go then?

But then, as she sipped on a cup of whatever concoction Fay had handed her, she made direct eye contact with Violet, who was standing by the portrait, and she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. She tossed her cup in the nearest trash can and headed for the portrait. Violet was leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. Without exchanging a word, the two slipped out of the common room and headed to the Astronomy tower. Violet knew all the hidden passages and shortcuts, so they got there without being detected by any Order members or teachers.

When they finally reached the top of the tower, Corey began to pace. She just had so much nervous energy coursing through her veins. She felt like she was going to explode. There was a voice in the back of her head telling her this was a terrible idea and could only end in disaster. She told the voice to shut the fuck up. Like it or not, she had to do this if she wanted to stay at Hogwarts, and she really did.

Violet leaned against the railing, her eyes following Corey. "So, what did you want to show me?"

"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone," Corey insisted, stopping in her tracks.

Violet frowned ever so slightly. "I promise." Her words did nothing to soothe Corey's nerves. Corey surged forward and held out her pinky. Violet looked at it incredulously, like she couldn't believe this was happening. They stood there in silence for a moment before Violet sighed and linked her pinky with Corey's. The two shook on it.

Feeling much calmer now, Corey returned to the dead center of the tower. She traced the lightning bolt of her ring and seconds later, she was holding her dagger. She glanced at Violet to gauge her reaction. Violet's eyes were wide, but she said nothing. Corey took that as a sign to continue. She took a deep breath and raised her dagger into the air, her eyes trained on the night sky.

The sky was so clear. There was hardly a cloud in sight, no storm on the horizon. And yet, Corey felt that tug in her stomach, and the next thing she knew, there was a blinding flash of light as lightning struck her dagger. The electricity crackled along her blade. She stared at it, mystified. She had a theory, of course, that she could use her dagger as a lightning rod of sorts, but she hadn't actually expected it to _work._

Feeling her control over the lightning slipping away, she redirected it back into the sky. There was another flash of light that stained her retinas with black spots, but otherwise, she was entirely unharmed. She pressed the lightning emblem on the hilt of her dagger and slipped the ring back on.

She turned to face Violet, whose jaw had dropped. Corey smiled awkwardly. "So, uh, yeah. That's what I wanted to show you."

"Bloody hell!"

Corey and Violet whipped around to see Ginny's head poking out of the entrance to the Astronomy tower. Corey's smile dropped. She felt her heart plummet into her stomach. Oh no. Oh, this was bad. This was very, very bad.

"What are you doing here?" Violet demanded. It seemed she'd gotten over her shock (pun intended) quite quickly. She was staring at Ginny, positively horrified. It was like...well, it sort of looked like she was more scared than Corey.

Ginny emerged fully onto the top of the tower, grinning sheepishly. "Well, you two were being weird during the party, and then I saw you sneak out looking all business, so I followed you. But Corey, that was..."

Corey waited for the other shoe to drop. This was the beginning of the end, she was sure of it. Ginny would brand her as a freak and then go running to Dumbledore. Corey would be forcibly removed from Hogwarts, maybe even taken into custody by the Ministry. They'd interrogate her, demanding to know what she was and how she could do what she could do, but Corey wouldn't have the answers. She'd spend the rest of her life being poked and prodded.

Ginny's grin widened. "Corey, that was bloody epic!"

Wait, what? Corey and Violet shared looks of confusion. Ginny wasn't scared. She was _ecstatic_. She was talking a mile a minute, saying, "I mean, I knew you were amazing, but Merlin! That was the _coolest_ thing I've ever seen! I've never heard of someone who could manipulate lightning like that! Is there anything else you can do? Can you like, control things that use electricity? Can you summon storms? Can you-"

"Ginny!" Corey cut in. Ginny was breathless. "To answer your questions, I'm not really sure what else I can do. But I can fly."

"You can fly?" Violet and Ginny echoed. Corey nodded. She was already exhausted from summoning and redirecting the lightning, but she was sure her body could handle floating a few inches off the ground. She took another deep breath and soon enough, her feet were no longer touching the floor. It took an obscene amount of concentration, but she managed to keep herself aloft for a little less than a minute. 

Ginny's eyes were glittering. Violet looked less amazed but still impressed. Corey tried to take a step toward her friends and immediately fell on her face.

"Corey!" Ginny cried out, rushing to her side. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Her voice muffled, Corey grunted, "So. Tired." And then she passed out.

*

**VIOLET**

This was really bad. Ginny knowing about Corey's powers couldn't possibly end well. But she knew, and there wasn't anything Violet could do about it. The only thing she could do was not leave an unconscious Corey on the roof of the Astronomy tower.

"We should get her back to her dorm," Violet said. "She must've used up all her energy demonstrating her powers." 

Violet and Ginny helped Corey up, then each pulled one of her arms around their shoulders so they could keep her steady. It was a bit of a pain in the ass getting down from the tower and back to the Common Room, but they were managing just fine until they stumbled upon a crying Hermione.

At the sight of them, Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and wiped away her tears. "Oh my! What happened to Corey?"

Ginny and Violet exchanged panicked looks. Violet silently cursed herself out. You'd think a demigod would be better at improvising. But how could they possibly explain Corey's condition in a way that wouldn't make Hermione demand they bring her to Madam Pomfrey?

Well, there was one way.

Violet blurted, "She's drunk."

Hermione frowned. "Drunk?"

"Yeah, she, uh, drank too much at the party and wanted to get some fresh air so we went up to the Astronomy Tower," Ginny explained. "But then she sort of passed out so we're just helping her back."

"Oh," Hermione said. "Well, alright. Best get her to bed then. I'll take her from here." She moved to take Corey from the two fifth-years and so Violet reluctantly handed the daughter of Zeus over. She and Ginny headed into the Common Room first, clearing a path for Hermione and Corey. Everyone was too busy partying to pay the girls too much attention, thank the gods.

Ginny and Violet helped Hermione get Corey into a more comfortable state of dress and into bed before the fifth-years retired to their own dorm. It was empty. Everyone else was downstairs, making far too much noise for this time of night.

As Violet changed into her pajamas, she spared a glance at Ginny. "Why was Hermione so upset?"

"You mean you didn't see Ron and Lavender eating each other's faces?" Ginny asked. Violet shook her head. She chuckled humorlessly. "You lucky bitch."

Violet scoffed. "I just can't believe Hermione is so upset over Ron. I'm sorry, I know he's your brother, but he kind of seems like the worst. She could do so much better."

Ginny was quiet for a moment, and Violet was left to wonder if she'd gone too far. Sure, Ginny and Ron were currently not on the best of terms, but they were still brother and sister in every sense of the word - biologically, emotionally, legally. They'd grown up together. Violet had never had someone like that. Even with her siblings at camp, as emotionally bonded as they were, they didn't all get together for Christmas (or, in her case, Hanukkah). They didn't have family photos or embarrassing stories of each other from childhood. They were undoubtedly family, but not in the traditional sense. Not like Ginny and Ron.

Then Ginny smiled softly. "Yeah, Ron can be kind of the worst. But he's also kind of the best, you know? As annoying as he is sometimes, I love him. I wouldn't give him up for the world. I do agree with you, though, that Hermione could do so much better, but at the same time, I think they're good for each other. I think they challenge each other, and yeah, they both still have a lot to learn in terms of being in a relationship, especially Ron, but I think, given time, they could be...what do muggles call it? Couple goals."

Violet didn't know how to reply to that, so she just said, "You know you can't tell anyone, right? About what Corey can do? Not even your family. It has to stay between the three of us."

"I know," Ginny assured her. As she talked, she quickly braided her hair. "Believe it or not, I'm really good at keeping things from my family. There's plenty I haven't told them."

"What, like the fact that you like girls?" Violet pressed. As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. She always said things without thinking. It was the demigod in her, the impulsivity that comes with your entire life being a fight. She saw how Ginny's face changed and immediately started rambling. "I'm so sorry, that was really rude of me. It's just, with my family, it's just such a normal thing, you know? Sometimes I forget it's not like that for everyone."

The more Violet talked, the less taken aback Ginny looked. In fact, it looked more like she was trying not to laugh. When Violet finally paused for breath, Ginny swallowed her giggles and asked, "Do you?"

Violet furrowed her brow. "Do I what?"

"Like girls."

"Oh." Violet cleared her throat. "Yeah, yeah, I do. A-and boys, but I prefer girls if I'm being honest."

Ginny sat down on her bed and played with the end of her braid. "I think...I think I like Corey." Violet tried not to make a face. It was bad enough that Corey and Harry had...whatever they had...going on. Ginny having a crush on Corey complicated things further. At the moment, it was harmless, but when the truth came out...

It was going to be a disaster of apocalyptic proportions, and that's coming from a girl who's survived two near-apocalypses.

When Violet didn't say anything, Ginny continued, "I know it's never going to go anywhere. I mean, I'm with Dean, and even if I wasn't, she likes Harry and Harry likes her, and I'm happy for them because they're both great people, but...I don't know. It'd just be nice if for once my crush liked me back, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that," Violet said quietly. Her mind drifted to a certain blonde Ravenclaw who would never see her as anything more than a friend, and then to the daughter of Apollo she was positive didn't even know she existed. "It sucks, knowing it will only ever be one-sided."

Ginny nodded solemnly, then crawled under her covers. "Goodnight, Vi." She didn't wait for a response before drawing the curtains around her bed close.

Violet felt as if there was a gaping hole in her chest. "Yeah. Goodnight."

*

**COREY**

Corey was really looking forward to Slughorn's Christmas party.

For starters, Parvati and Lavender had helped her pick out a gorgeous dress that she couldn't wait to flaunt in front of everyone. Then there was the other fact that the Christmas party was the day before winter break began. Corey had been invited to spend the break with Harry and the Weasleys at the Burrow. Violet was going to be there too - when Ginny found out the purple-haired girl planned to stay at Hogwarts all by herself for break, she'd immediately Owled her mother, who was equally appalled at the prospect.

There was so much about winter break that Corey just couldn't wait for. Meeting the rest of the Weasley family, Mama Weasley's cooking, not having to wear a uniform, seeing her friends open the presents she'd gotten them (an effort entirely funded by Harry, who'd given her an absurd amount of money to buy an outfit for the party with. The whole outfit had cost a slim portion, so she used the rest to treat her friends, especially Harry), and the fact that for almost two weeks, she wouldn't have to see Ron and Lavender making out every free moment they had.

(It was also two weeks she wouldn't have to hear girls plotting how to magically roofie Harry whenever she went to the bathroom.)

On the day of the party, Corey was sitting with Hermione and Violet. They were chatting, mostly about the party and how to sneak Violet in. Harry and Ron were a little further down the table, discussing something or other, and Ginny was even further down with Dean, Fay, and Seamus. Then Corey spotted Lavender and Parvati entering the Great Hall. She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She really didn't feel like seeing Ron and Lavender sucking face while she was trying to eat. She was also cross with both girls because apparently, they'd laughed at a cruel joke Ron had made during Transfiguration at Hermione's expense.

Corey did her best to pay them no mind until Parvati exclaimed, "Oh, hi, Hermione! Hey, Corey, Violet." To Parvati's credit, she seemed to be feeling guilty about laughing at Ron's joke. Corey granted her a taut smile, figuring Hermione would brush her off, but then something weird happened.

Hermione smiled back at Parvati, eyes shining. "Hi, Parvati! Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?" Corey and Violet exchanged confused looks. What was Hermione up to?

"No invite," Parvati said with a pout. "I'd love to go, though, it sounds like it's going to be really good...You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're-"

Two things happened at once. Ron stopped making out with Lavender to gape at Hermione, and Corey choked on her pasta.

Hermione paid both of them no mind. "-and we're going to the party together."

"Cormac?" Parvati tilted her head. "Cormac McLaggen, you mean?" Corey waited for Hermione to correct Parvati because surely Hermione wasn't going to Slughorn's party with Cormac McLaggen, the guy who'd groped Corey at this very dinner table and threw a temper tantrum over not getting the Keeper position.

But she didn't.

"That's right," Hermione said. Her tone was sickly sweet. Corey could feel her teeth rotting in her skull. "The one who _almost_ became Gryffindor Keeper."

Corey had to physically restrain herself from commenting at this point because the primary reason Cormac had not become Gryffindor Keeper was that Hermione hexed him so Ron would win the position. She figured Hermione wouldn't be thrilled with that little detail becoming public knowledge, especially because of her date tonight, so she stayed silent and shoveled pasta into her mouth.

Parvati was amazed. "Are you going out with him, then?"

"Oh - yes - didn't you know?" Hermione giggled, sounding nothing like herself and everything like that Romilda Vane who was _so_ desperate to get into Harry's pants by any means necessary.

"No!" Parvati gasped. "Wow, you like your Quidditch players, don't you? First Krum, then McLaggen..."

"I like _really good_ Quidditch players," Hermione corrected. Corey snorted. Okay, that was low, but also really fucking funny. Petty, vindictive Hermione was kind of a legend. Violet seemed to agree because she was clearly stifling laughter. Once again, Hermione continued on like nothing had happened. "Well, see you...Got to get and get ready for the party...Corey, are you coming?"

Corey's eyes widened. "I...I'm still eating." The look on Hermione's face, however, left no room for arguments, so Corey spared her unfinished dinner one last forlorn look before following Hermione out of the Great Hall.

"What the Hades was that?" Corey laughed as soon as they were completely alone.

Hermione glanced at her oddly before carrying on. "Well, Ron's been so keen to rub his new relationship in my face, I figured it was about time he had a taste of his own medicine."

"But Cormac?" Corey scrunched up her face in disgust. "You should've invited Violet! She totally would've agreed to fake-date you and then she could've come to the party!"

"I thought about it, but it was last minute, so I thought she might not have anything to wear," Hermione admitted. She grinned cheekily. "Besides, inviting Violet wouldn't make Ron half as mad."

Corey stared at her friend, mystified. "Holy shit. It's like I don't even know who you are anymore. I kind of love it." The two girls shared looks of amusement before dissolving into raucous laughter, their giggles echoing off the stone walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the odd ending but next chapter is slughorn's christmas party and i'm so excited y'all have no idea


	9. merry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> corey and harry go to slughorn's christmas party.

**HARRY**

Harry's heart was in his throat.

As soon as he'd finished dinner, he rushed back to his dorm and gotten ready for Slughorn's party, which had taken maybe fifteen minutes, and only because he couldn't decide what to do with his hair. He was so nervous. Corey was already so pretty. He was certain she'd look like a proper goddess all dressed-up. He wanted to look like he was even remotely worthy of being her date. Well, technically, she was his date, but whatever.

He wished he'd taken longer to get ready because now he had nothing better to do than sit in the common room and wait for Corey. His mind was racing. They'd never specified whether they were going to this party as friends or something more. What if they were dancing and he was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her and then she told him she only wanted to be friends? What if the girl of his dreams was only ever that?

He felt like such an idiot. He'd been so apprehensive of her at first, certain she could only mean trouble, and now, just a few months later, he wanted nothing more than to hold her hand and kiss her lips and call her his girlfriend. He'd started the year trying to get over his crush on Ginny and, in the process, fell head over heels for a girl with no past and yet so much love in her heart. And maybe that's why he'd fallen for her so quickly, because Corey lit up any room she entered and she laughed at his jokes and she cared so much about everyone despite knowing them for such a short time and sometimes she got so angry so quickly that it stole the air from his lungs. She was a living, breathing tornado and he would do just about anything to stay a victim of her whirlwind.

He heard footsteps on the stairs to the girls' dorms and whipped around. His brain immediately short-circuited as his jaw dropped to the floor and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

Corey giggled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. She hadn't done anything special to her hair, though it looked a bit wavier than usual. Her makeup was fairly simple but incredibly effective. Her thin eyeliner, mascara, and shimmery nude eyeshadow made her brown eyes pop. Her cheeks were perfectly rosy, her high cheekbones more pronounced than ever. Her lips were red and glossy. He could see most of her scars, including the burns on her back. She wore them proudly. And then there was her outfit.

Jewelry-wise, she kept it simple, just stud earrings and then, of course, her lightning bolt ring and bronze locket. Her strappy black heels made him worried she was going to tower over him. He was already just a couple inches taller than her. But the star of her outfit was undoubtedly her dress. It was a dark blue that gradually lightened as his eyes traveled down with a ruffled sweetheart neckline and thin straps. The tulle skirt glittered like the night sky. She looked downright ethereal, like the princess of the heavens. 

A part of him was compelled to drop to one knee as one did before royalty, but he restrained himself. Looking at her, he knew he was going to make a fool of himself tonight. He'd never been good around girls he had a crush on. The worst part was that, for the first time, there was actually a chance of his crush liking him back. It was times like this he missed Sirius more than ever. What he wouldn't give to ask his godfather for advice on how not to ruin this.

He blinked and realized Corey had walked down the stairs and was now standing in front of him. She was beaming at him as if he'd put the stars in the sky. "You look beautiful."

"You look..." he stammered, struggling to find the right words. He took a deep breath and tried to start again. "You look..."

Incredible. Angelic. Stunning. Gorgeous. Ethereal. Otherworldly. Regal. Amazing. Any of these words would suffice, but she'd rendered him speechless.

"I'm a total knock-out, right?" she giggled. She spun, watching the way her skirt swooshed. "I love this dress. I think I want to wear it every day for the rest of my life."

_Please do,_ he thought.

"So, you ready to go?" she asked. He nodded, his mouth dry. They linked arms and together, they headed to Slughorn's office.

*

**COREY**

Slughorn's office seemed abnormally huge.

He must've done some sort of spell in order to fit all these people. Her eyes swept the large crowd, trying to spot the vampire supposedly in attendance, but only seeing far too many old white men. At least the decorations weren't awful. She liked the multicolored fabrics draping the walls and ceiling and the fairies partying around the golden lamp hanging above. The music, however, was most definitely a poor choice. Who hires a band of mandolins to play their party? Then again, there was no dance floor, so the music was most likely for ambiance rather than getting down to. House-elves ran to and fro carrying large silver platters that seemed too heavy for their thin arms.

The sight of the house-elves made Corey slightly sick. She couldn't believe the Wizarding world still had slaves in this day and age. Yeah, they still wrote with parchment and quills dipped in ink, but that was for the aesthetic. There was no excuse for the enslavement of an entire species. Even if they were fairly compensated for the work they did (which they weren't), Corey didn't like the idea of someone having to clean up after her. She was a big girl. She could do her own laundry and make her own bed.

Almost as soon as Corey and Harry walked into Slughorn's office, the man himself descended on them. "Harry, m'boy! Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!" He latched onto Harry's arm and dragged him through the crowd. Harry tightened his grip on Corey's hand so she had no choice but to follow. She openly scowled. She wasn't Slughorn's biggest fan by a mile, and she certainly didn't appreciate how he was completely ignoring her existence.

She was Corey fucking Whatever-her-last-name-was. She didn't just deserve respect, she demanded it. She was just as important as Harry, maybe even more. After all, could Harry summon and manipulate lightning? Could he fly by controlling the winds? Did he lose his memory and mysteriously appear on the Hogwarts Express? Did he have a dope-ass dagger that could turn into a ring? No, no, nope, and nada.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of _Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires_ — and of course, his friend Sanguini."

Corey was proud of herself for not outright laughing at the name Eldred Worple. Worple shook Harry's hand enthusiastically. Sanguini nodded at Harry politely, then locked eyes with Corey. The two stared each other down. She absentmindedly spun her ring. If he tried to attack, she'd have her dagger out before he could get to her.

"Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" Worple was crowing. "I was saying to Professor Slughorn the other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting?'"

In her peripheral vision, she saw Harry look her way and try to catch her eye, but she refused to break her staring contest with Sanguini. It was almost like one of those western showdowns. It wasn't a question of if someone was going to attack. It was a question of who was going to attack first.

Harry was unable to hide his frown. "Er, were you?"

"Just as modest as Horace described!" Worple exclaimed. As he continued, his demeanor shifted to that of a businessman. "But seriously, I would be delighted to write it myself — people are craving to know more about you, dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews, say in four or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished within months. And all with very little effort on your part, I assure you — ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite — Sanguini, stay here!"

Sanguini had been edging toward a nearby group of teenage girls, his gaze still locked on Corey. It was like he was challenging her. _I'm going to hurt these girls unless you do something to stop me. What are you going to do about it, child of lightning?_

Corey's head hurt. She could barely hear anything Worple was saying to Harry. She heard it so clearly. A woman's voice, slow like she was asleep, whispering in Corey's ear, _Your friends and family, everyone you've ever loved, will die by my hand. What are you going to do about it, child of lightning?_

And then Harry was dragging her away from Worple and Sanguini and Slughorn. Corey felt like she could breathe again. Harry glanced at her, visibly concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just a little loud in here," she lied. Well, it wasn't a _total_ lie. The room _was_ a little too loud for her liking, but it wasn't any louder than the party celebrating Gryffindor's first Quidditch win of the season. She forced a small smile. "I'll be fine."

Harry nodded and called out, "Hermione! Hermione!" He and Corey weaved through the crowd until they reached Hermione. Corey did a double-take. Hermione looked as though she'd gotten into a fight with a cactus. Her lipstick was slightly smeared, her dress disheveled. Her hair, which she'd worked so hard to smooth out for the occasion, was frizzier than ever.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, overjoyed to see a friendly face. "There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Corey!"

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked. Corey stepped forward to fix Hermione up, adjusting her dress and wiping away any rogue lipstick.

"Oh, I've just escaped — I mean, I've just left Cormac," Hermione explained. Once Corey was done, she returned to Harry's side and the two gave Hermione matching inquisitive looks. "Under the mistletoe," Hermione added meekly. Corey gagged.

Harry scoffed. "Serves you right coming with him."

"Yeah, he's like, the worst!" Corey chimed in.

"I thought he'd annoy Ron the most," Hermione admitted. "I debated for a while about Zacharias Smith, but I thought, on the whole—"

_"You considered Smith?"_ Harry interjected. Corey had no idea who Zacharias Smith was so she couldn't back Harry up on that one.

"Yes, I did, and I'm starting to wish I'd chosen him, McLaggen makes Grawp look a gentleman. Let's go this way, we'll be able to see him coming, he's so tall..."

They crossed over to the other side of the room, snatching up goblets full of mead as they walked. When they reached their destination, Harry and Hermione made faces upon realizing the space they originally thought to be empty of others was in fact populated by one Professor Trelawny. Corey had never actually met Trelawny, only heard of her. Parvati and Lavender had nothing but praise for her while Hermione, Ron, and Harry were unified in their intense dislike of her. Corey wasn't sure who to believe because unlike Hermione, Ron, and Harry, she believed there was weight to the subject of Divination.

"Hi," Corey greeted politely.

"Good evening, my dear," Trelawney said. She reeked of alcohol. She squinted at Corey as if trying to place her face. "I don't have you in my class, do I?"

"No, Professor," Corey replied. "I don't think I have what it takes for Divination. I'm not exactly a witch."

An indecipherable glimmer appeared in Trelawney's eyes. "No, you most certainly aren't, my dear." Corey shifted uneasily and glanced at Harry and Hermione for help, but they were busy having a hushed spat. "Oh, you really don't have any idea how special you are, do you? There's so much about yourself you don't know."

"That's kind of how amnesia works," Corey chuckled. She tried to remember how Hermione called her a hack, how Ron had dismissed her as a madwoman who had no clue what she was talking about. And then there was Harry, who, yes, had said she was an "absolute nutter," but never once called her a fraud.

Trelawney cackled. "Yes, I suppose so. I've asked the stars about you, about why you came to our school."

"And what did they say?"

Trelawney opened her mouth to say something, and then it was like she'd been possessed. Her eyes, already hazy from the copious amounts of alcohol she'd surely been downing, went misty. She slumped forward slightly. When she finally spoke, her voice did not sound like her own. It was deeper. Wiser.

_"A plot to save the torchbearer's greatest pride,_

_The child of lightning shall bridge the divide,_

_A final battle to end the Dark Lord's reign_

_And the sky's lost child will be regained."_

And then Trelawney's eyes cleared and she straightened up (well, straightened up as much as a woman who seemed eternally hunched over could). That unnerving spark in her eyes vanished as though it'd never existed in the first place. She tilted her head and frowned. "Are you alright, my dear? You look awfully pale."

Corey's entire body shook with the weight of everything she was feeling. "What did you just say?"

Trelawney blinked. "I said you look awfully pale."

"No, before that," Corey said. Her heart was beating so fast, so loud, she was sure everyone could hear it.

"I asked if you were alright."

"Before that."

"I said I asked the stars about you."

"But—"

It was then Harry turned to join their conversation. Trelawney exclaimed, "Harry Potter!" and Corey knew any chance of figuring out what the fuck just happened was gone. Her heartbeat blocked out the sound of Harry and Trewlaney's exchange. She could just vaguely register how annoyed Harry sounded and how drunk Trewlaney was. Right. She was drunk. She had no idea what she was saying. It was all nonsense, the ramblings of a woman who'd had far too much to drink.

"Ah, Sybil, we all think our subject's most important!" Slughorn cut in, popping up at Trelawney's other side out of nowhere. His face was stained a dark shade of red and his hat had been jostled out of its perfect position. He held a glass of mead in one hand and in the other an enormous mince pie. Corey was suddenly reminded of how she hadn't gotten to finish her dinner. Her stomach softly rumbled. Where was the snack table around here?

"But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions!" Slughorn continued, eyeing Harry fondly. "Instinctive, you know — like his mother! I've only ever taught a few with this kind of ability, I can tell you that, Sybil — why even Severus —"

Corey stifled a laugh at Harry's horrified face as Slughorn pulled Snape out of the crowd and into their little group. She wondered if he was horrified because it was Snape or because his so-called natural affinity for Potions was actually a direct result of following the Half-Blood Prince's tweaks to the book recipes.

"Stop skulking and come and join us, Severus!" Slughorn demanded between hiccups. "I was just talking about Harry's exceptional potion-making! Some credit must go to you, of course, you taught him for five years!"

Snape glowered down at Harry. Corey grabbed Harry's hand, lacing their fingers, and squeezed. A silent show of support. He spared her a quick half-smile.

"Funny, I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all," Snape said, his voice its usual grating monotone. Corey narrowed her eyes. What an asshole.

"Well, then, it's natural ability!" declared Slughorn. "You should have seen what he gave me, first lesson, Draught of Living Death — never had a student produce finer on a first attempt, I don't think even you, Severus—"

Snape quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Slughorn turned back to Harry. "Remind me what other subjects you're taking, Harry?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology..."

"All the subjects required, in short, for an Auror," Snape interjected, sneering. Corey's free hand balled into a fist. What she wouldn't give to break this guy's nose. She didn't remember much about her past, but she knew she'd had teachers like him, teachers who didn't really give a shit about their students and only took the job to have power over others.

"Yeah, well, that's what I'd like to do," Harry snapped.

"And a great one you'll make too!" Slughorn assured him.

Corey shifted awkwardly. "Uh, what's an Auror?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer, then closed it, before explaining, "Wizard cop."

"Oh!" Corey's eyes lit up with recognition. She quickly deflated. "Oh. Ew. No, don't be a cop. Cops are the worst. Didn't you run an illegal study group last year? You should be a teacher!"

Harry was looking at her strangely. Everyone was, actually, which she was more than used to at this point because apparently everything Corey did and said was weird to wizards. But the way Harry was looking at her was a different kind of strange. There was this twinkle in his eyes she couldn't discern and a warm smile playing on his lips. She smiled back, feeling ever so slightly awestruck. Something about the way he was looking at her set her insides aflame, but like, in a good way.

Their little moment was ruined by Filch cutting through the crowd, dragging along Draco Malfoy by the ear over toward them. Filch, whose first name was Argus. For some reason, every time she remembered that, Corey's head started to hurt.

"Professor Slughorn," Filch wheezed, "I discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claims to have been invited to your party and to have been delayed in setting out. Did you issue him with an invitation?"

Corey made a face because, well, who talks like that? Meanwhile, Malfoy freed himself from Filch, his eyes blazing with fury, and admitted, "Alright, I wasn't invited! I was trying to gate-crash, happy?"

"No, I'm not!" Filch shot back. He was clearly lying because he was grinning maniacally. "You're in trouble, you are! Didn't the headmaster say that nighttime prowling's out, unless you've got permission, didn't he, eh?"

Corey leaned in close to Harry and whispered, "Where did this guy learn to talk?"

"That's alright, Argus, that's alright," Slughorn said with a dismissive hand wave. There was that pain in her temples again. "It's Christmas, and it's not a crime to want to come to a party. Just this once, we'll forget any punishment; you may stay."

Hold on. Why did Malfoy look just as upset as Filch? He just got out of detention (or worse). He should've been elated, but instead, he looked absolutely miserable. Corey frowned, remembering Harry's theory that Malfoy had joined the wizard Nazis — the Death Eaters. 

Malfoy didn't look like a mini-Nazi. He looked like an exhausted teenage boy. He had dark bags under his eyes and his skin was almost grayish. There was something sickly about his appearance. He reminded her of someone. Her skin crawled.

Malfoy's disgruntled look quickly morphed into a wide grin as he thanked Slughorn for allowing him to stay.

"It's nothing, nothing," Slughorn chuckled. "I did know your grandfather, after all..."

"He always spoke very highly of you, sir," Malfoy said far too hastily, suggesting his grandfather never once spoke of Slughorn. "Said you were the best potion-maker he'd ever known..."

"I'd like a word with you, Draco," Snape cut in.

Slughorn frowned. "Oh, now, Severus, it's Christmas, don't be too hard—"

"I'm his Head of House, and I shall decide how hard, or otherwise, to be," Snape retorted, his sharp tone leaving no room for argument. Corey couldn't help the snort that left her at his words. She knew it was childish of her, but whatever.

Snape and Draco left. Harry watched them go, then turned to Corey and said, "I'll be back in a bit, Cor — er — bathroom."

He let go of her hand and started to walk away, but she quickly followed until she got close enough to grab his wrist and yank him back. "Nu-uh. If you're ditching, I'm coming with."

He gaped at her. "Seriously?"

"Uh, yeah," Corey said. "This party blows and there's nothing I love more than drama. Now let's go eavesdrop on a private conversation."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know how i said i was gonna be posting five chapters?? well it turns out i can't count
> 
> anyway i have no idea how i feel about this chapter. i'm not a huge fan of the prophecy (prophecies are really hard to write y'all :/) so if you have any ideas pls lmk


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